


Flown Away

by musicaldaydreamer



Series: Flown Away-verse [1]
Category: Pokemon Reborn
Genre: (Solaris is horrible and nobody is surprised), Dangerous Levels of Cheese, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kyurem Path AU, Minor guilt tripping, Other, Pokemon Being Cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-05-15 03:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19286941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicaldaydreamer/pseuds/musicaldaydreamer
Summary: Team Meteor is defied once more, and suddenly everything changes.(A slightly warmer and fuzzier Pokemon Reborn AU; contains spoilers for everything from Titania's Gym on.)Currently dormant until Episode 19!





	1. Intro/Origin

**Author's Note:**

> Ever write a short thing that then grabs hold of you and won't let go? Yeah. This is one of those.
> 
> I played through the Reshiram route and got Very Sad, so to make myself feel better, I wrote this little bit here. It actually worked quite well at cheering me up! And then I started thinking more about what would happen, and started writing more scenes and things about it, and, well. It became a whole AU. 
> 
> At this point things are mostly in chronological order, but that might change as I finish more things. Or I might just turn it into a series to keep things tidy. Who knows?

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll find a way to get down to you." Taka shouted from the tower.

"Wait. Don't. Madison!" Romi clicked a pokeball and a Fearow flew out. "Go with Taka, okay? Take him somewhere safe."

"Wait, what?"

"Go with her. She knows places."

"Just wait a minute-"

"Go! Please."

The look in their eyes softened something inside him, and Taka nodded. He climbed onto Madison's back and began to fly off.

"Now why would you do a thing like that?" came a cool voice. Fury bubbled in Romi's stomach as Lin appeared at a window and clicked a Pokeball of her own. Hydreigon appeared, and Lin began climbing out the window.

"Flash Cannon! For justice!"

A jolt of silver light shot down from a floating island and grazed Hydreigon in the wing. Titania and Klefki watched as it began to fall, and roared in pain. Lin was forced to call it back.

Romi just kept running toward the Gym.

"This will be a five-on-five Single Battle," Titania announced, "because apparently you sent your Fearow off with that Meteor boy for some reason."

Lin still threatened Titania and made her doubt Romi's loyalty. Titania still sicced her Aegislash on Lin. But nobody else died that day, and Romi scraped their next Gym Badge with hope in their heart.


	2. Calcenon City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taka and Madison arrive at their destination, and are greeted by some unexpected faces.

"So, uh... where are we going?"

The Fearow made no reply, simply continuing her flight as Taka shifted positions to make himself more comfortable. He kept his eyes forward. Flying had never been his favourite way to travel, and this particular flight gave him too much to think about to look back.

Lin was _there_. She was at the Gym, and she clearly knew where they'd been. Had she been following them? The idea sent chills through him that had nothing to do with the altitude. They'd been in the desert for _ages_ , though; it was more likely some other Meteors were keeping tabs on him, or them, and news had gotten back to Lin. Either way, she was there now, with Titania and Romi, and Taka had flown off and taken one of Romi's Pokemon with him.

Or rather, he'd let Romi send him off.

He couldn't forget the look on their face, the sound of their voice. They were afraid- but _pleading_. The fear was there, but it seemed to be entirely directed towards him.  
It was haunting him.  
(A small part of his mind was remembering how, upon waking up in the tower and discovering Lin's presence, he had only thought about getting to Romi, because they could protect each other, they _would_ , and he _owed_  it to them-)

"Ametrine, huh?" Taka interrupted his train of thought, glad of the excuse. Madison was flying low over some icy stone peaks. "You guys come up here often? Man, what was Romi _up_ to?" But Madison didn't stop anywhere on the mountain peak, nor in the snowbound city below. Instead she swooped in a wide curve to the east, and Taka found himself chattering to her just to keep from thinking.

"The view's pretty nice. D'you know I've never flown on an actual bird Pokemon before? Chatot's too small."

"Row!" Madison squawked. And abruptly, Taka saw where she was going- _diving_ , almost- and the fear came right back.

"No, no no no no not there," Taka said loudly. "Labradorra's right there, it's not safe- Romi said _safe_."

The Fearow paid him no mind, but continued her spiral down toward Calcenon City. Taka tried to look toward Labradorra, through the shimmering PULSE-powered barrier, but Madison's descent was making him dizzy so he stopped, and instead kept his focus on her sleek neck feathers and his own beating heart.

Madison, at least, had the sense to land as far from the barrier as she could, Taka noticed. He sat awkwardly on her back for a few seconds before he gave her a pat and slid off her back.

 

"Calcenon City, pretty much the last place I would've chosen," he muttered. Madison squawked in response. "No, you're right, thanks. Thanks for getting me out of there." He gave her another pat on the head, and she preened. "Now you'd better go back and get Ro out of there too, right?"

The Fearow tilted her head. Then she began walking toward the Pokemon Centre.

...Crap, that made sense, didn't it? Romi was there for a Gym Battle, they must've been fighting trainers before they sent Madison away with Taka. Poor bird was probably exhausted. He rubbed the Pokeball Chatot was in and sighed.

"I've still got some Potions," he began, but she was already in front of the door. She looked back at him expectantly.

"Fine, fine," he said, and opened the door for her. Madison hopped inside, and Nurse Joy looked from the Fearow to the man trying unsuccessfully to stay out of her line of sight.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Taka gave up and stood in the doorway.

"Ah, yeah, this is my friend's Fearow. They loaned her to me for the trip, but I think she's tired out now. Can you take care of her?"

"Of course!" Nurse Joy relaxed and her face brightened. "Do you have her Pokeball?"

"No, sorry, my friend still has it, they just sent her out to give me a lift."

"That's fine," Nurse Joy smiled. "We can still get her fixed up- oh, welcome to the Pokemon Centre!" She waved at something behind Taka, and he turned to look.

A little girl with abnormally large pigtails and a Jirachi doll was staring at him with wide, bright eyes.

"Oh my gosh," she said, still staring. Then, suddenly, her face broke into a massive smile. "Oh my gosh! You're here!" And she latched onto him in a hug.

Taka had grown up in a pseudo-religious, pseudo-terrorist organization with a lot of complicated goals, and spent time around _Terra_ , but he couldn't remember ever being more confused than he was right now with this overexcited child.

"I'm Anna, and this is Nostra!" the girl said, holding up her doll. "It's nice to meet you! What are you doing here? Is that your Fearow?"

Anna... That sounded familiar. "Uh, hi. Um. No, that's not my pokemon. She's-" Taka was cut off by Madison herself charging past him.

"Fear!" She crowed, prancing in front of Anna. Anna, if possible, looked even happier.

"Madison!" She scratched the Fearow's neck, and looked to Taka. "Romi's! Did Romi send you? How are they? Hey, come with me!" And she grabbed Taka by the wrist. He briefly heard Nurse Joy's cheerful "come again!" before the door shut behind him.

"Wait!" Taka said, loudly. Anna was surprisingly strong. "You're- I know you from somewhere. You know Romi?"

"Romi's our friend!" she chirped. "Here." She stopped at a building only a few doors down from the Pokemon Centre, uncomfortably close to the barrier. "Better get in here. Oh, and watch your wing on the door." She knocked on the door and, without waiting for a response, opened it and waited happily for Taka to go through.

Taka was completely confused, and more than a little nervous. "Listen, I don't- Madison? Can you go back to Romi now?" He looked at Anna's bright expression and shook his head. "Romi sent me here because there was danger. I'm gonna take off, and Romi needs Madison back, okay?"

"Romi's in trouble?" Anna paled. "Tell me what happened."

Taka sighed. Romi clearly thought this place was safe- or at least, Madison did. And this girl did seem familiar. "Okay, I'll come in for a minute, but-"

He froze. Watching them from inside the house were Romi's friend with the purple hair, a very angry-looking young man, an even angrier-looking teenage girl, and a younger girl with mauve hair. Further back at a table he could see a boy with black hair- too late he realized where he recognized Anna from.  
This place was full of Gym Leaders.

"I should go," he began, but the angry man- _shit, that's Hardy_ \- crossed the room.

"What's he doing here?" Hardy asked Anna. "How'd you get in?"

"Romi sent him here. See, there's Maddie." Anna pointed at the Fearow sitting on the road. "Come inside."

"Anna, this isn't a good idea-"

Taka stayed more or less silent as Anna argued with first Hardy, then the kid- Cain, Taka thought his name was- and had an amiable conversation with her brother. He wanted to leave, but Anna kept her grip on his wrist. Through the sheer overwhelmingness of the situation Taka kept thinking, _what is with this girl?_ Even when she got the others to let him in, he just shuffled in quietly.  
He had no idea what was happening anymore.

"Okay. Tell us what happened," Anna prompted, once everyone was inside and Charlotte had taken off for a back room somewhere.

Taka sighed. "Okay. I left Team Meteor a while back. Romi was at Titania's for the Gym Badge today. I was camping at a scrapyard near there. Lin showed up and trapped me in this tower at Titania's, I got outside, saw Romi and was going to try and get down to them when they sent Madison up and asked me to go with her. I heard Lin's voice after that but Madison took off and I couldn't hear what she said. Then she brought me here."

"Good girl!" Anna said happily, petting Madison's head.

"Sis won't lose in a hurry, not even to Lin," Hardy mused. "Neither will Romi, from what I've seen."

Taka almost smiled. "No, that's true. But Lin is batshit crazy," he sobered. "Do you have a way of calling Titania?"

"That's what Charlotte's doing, I think," Shelly said quietly. "Or calling Adrienn. I think xe can get through to her."

"I hope so," Hardy nodded. "Then we can find out if Knucklehead here is telling the truth."

"Smart," Taka half-laughed. "I don't know what we can do for them right now anyway, I've been flying for over an hour. Unless someone has a Pokemon with Teleport." He half-sat, half-slumped onto the sofa.

"Adrienn talked to Romi early this morning," came a shout, followed shortly by Charlotte reappearing from the hallway. "They were at Titania's. Her PokeNav's off, by the way."

"That doesn't mean anything," Hardy shook his head. "She always turns it off for a Gym Battle. Says it wrecks the immersion if it goes off."

"I've _got_ to get up there one of these days," Cain shook his head. "So what do we do? Does anyone have a flier, or something, that can go check on them?"

"I've got Volcarona, but I've also got my Gym," Charlotte shrugged. "Not supposed to be unavailable for battles or whatever. As if anyone's going to show up."

"I'll go," Hardy nodded. "I've got Aerodactyl. I should check in with Titania anyway, I guess."

"You might want to wait on that," Noel chimed in. "It's getting dark."

It was. "...First thing, then." He headed upstairs.

"I'm going back home. I'm gonna call Adrienn again and tell xem to let us know _immediately_ if they hear from Titania or Romi. Someone keep an eye on him." Charlotte shot Taka a glare.

"Can I come?" Shelly asked quietly. In response Charlotte put her arm around her.

"C'mon. Maybe Victoria'll be there again and we can bother her."

Taka leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. These kids- all of them kids except Hardy, honestly- seemed to have things here under control. And he was exhausted. And so, so tired of being scared.

"You kidnapped me," Cain said. It sounded conversational. Taka opened his eyes.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"S'fine. It was kind of hot. And you told us about Apophyll, so. That was cool."

"Heh." Taka smiled. "So what's the story? Why's everyone here? And why's she...like that?" He jerked his head in Anna's general direction, where she sat engaged in conversation with her doll.

"Looking for my sister, mostly." Taka's smile vanished. "Hardy and me, anyway. The kids are hiding from Connal."

"I really am sorry," Taka muttered. "Connal's batshit too, they're better off here."

"...I believe you. And Anna's always like that, it's not just you."

"Sorry," said Noel from his table.

"Hey!" Anna's voice was full of indignation before she looked ay Taka. "You _have_ to stay here. Nostra says so."

"'Kay. At least until someone hears from Adrienn. I'm beat anyway." He shrugged.

  
That night Taka spent stretched out on the couch of the makeshift boarding-house. He woke up several times though the night, at sounds from elsewhere in the house and just from habit. It felt _weird_ sleeping in a house again, and even weirder without his Pokemon around him; around three he let Chatot and Komala out of their Pokeballs, gave them some berries, and fell back asleep with Chatot curled up on his chest and Komala on his feet.  
Worry still woke him up a few times after that, though. Taka wasn't sure whether his faith was gone or just hopelessly tangled up in all the Tauros-droppings that were his past. But he said a tentative prayer to Arceus to keep them all safe- him, Romi, the resistance, even Titania. And his father.

  
By the time Taka woke up, the sun was high and the house was completely empty. Chatot was rummaging around in his knapsack- that bird was way too smart- and someone had left a sandwich and a Leppa Berry on the end table closest to Taka's head. He munched on it and tried valiantly not to think of what had happened the day before.

(He remembered "not thinking" being a lot easier, once.)

He carried the empty plate back to the kitchen and found Komala there, climbing slowly up a cabinet. It was impossible not to laugh as he scooped the little pokemon up and carried him to the door. Chatot followed quickly, eager to get outside, and when Taka opened the door the little bird flew off happily, passing Cain and a tall girl Taka could only guess was Fern's sister.

"Oh hey," Cain waved. "You're up. Florinia, this is Taka. Taka, Florinia. Hardy left a couple hours ago."

"Greetings. Cain informed me of what you claim transpired yesterday. I hope, for the sake of everyone involved, that you were being truthful, and that our companions are unharmed."

Um. "Yeah, so do I."

"I require rest; it has been a long trip from Reborn City." And with that, Florinia entered the door Taka had just exited.

"Rini's just like that too," Cain piped in before Taka could ask. "She's brilliant, though, a real voice of reason without being boring about it."

"Yo!" Cain and Taka both turned to see Charlotte, on rollerblades, gliding her way around the corner followed by a very distinctive Meowstic. She skidded to a stop and Meowstic kept running until she had reached Cain. Charlotte glanced at Taka briefly before turning her attention wholly to Cain.  
"Hey. So Romi beat Titania about an hour ago apparently, Victoria said their Trainer Card got updated. So they and Titania are probably not dead. Might even be on their way here, Romi might anyway." Relief rushed over Taka as Charlotte turned to him. "Hey. Name's Charlotte. Don't forget it. By the way, Cain, Shelly took off with Heather this morning, I think they were going to Ametrine for the night."

Cain picked Meowstic up and scratched her ears. "Thanks for checking in."

"No problem. Uh, does that Komala belong to someone? Looks a little out of place." She raised an eyebrow and Taka turned to follow her gaze. Komala, clinging to the upper corner of the Pokemon Centre, paid no attention.

"Oh, for the- Komala!" Taka called out to his Pokemon, vaguely aware of Cain and Charlotte laughing behind him.

  
In the twenty minutes it took to get Komala down, Charlotte lost interest and skated off while Cain did his best to help by going to ask around for a ladder. Chatot persuaded the little Pokemon to loosen his grip on the walls until he slid down peacefully and landed in Taka's arms. He gave Komala a little squeeze, and if he held a little tighter than usual Komala didn't complain.

 _They were okay_.

His mind kept wandering back to the desert, when it was just him and Romi and their Pokemon for so long. They would make camp in the shelter of boulders or on top of high dunes, each surrounded by their Pokemon for warmth and protection. Through the days they walked, Taka chattering away and Romi listening companionably, sometimes joining in. There was always that edge of fear, of being discovered, but the longer they traveled the less Taka thought about it. They discovered oases, camped there and enjoyed the fresh water and soft grass before it inevitably disappeared, usually the next day. Romi's Primarina would bask in the water and Romi would call Taka over to see her blow bubbles, which she seemed to enjoy showing off.  
They wandered into forgotten locales of Taka's childhood, and he remembered things, and sorted through the mixed-up emotions about them while Romi explored and gently asked questions. And they got closer and closer...

It was strange, but Taka felt homesick for it, in a way he had scarcely felt since leaving Meteor. He had fallen into a comfortable pattern, with his Pokemon and with Romi. And it felt weird, now, to be outside of that pattern. Wrong, somehow. He wondered if it would've felt the same, saying goodbye in the scrapyard town. But knowing Romi was alive- and still winning- took a weight off of him. In that moment, it was all he needed.

 

That night was quieter than the previous one. Hardy returned around five, Aerodactyl dropping him off outside the house before swooping up to perch on the roof. He seemed much more relaxed than the night before, and the mood spread to the others in the house.

"She took off before I got there, but she at least answered her PokeNav when I called. Said she'd just gotten out of a battle, she lost, and they were both heading to Amaria's. I asked about Lin but all Titania would say was that she was there and then she left. Sis sounded pissed, honestly." Hardy shook his head. "Not that that's new or anything."

"Lin does that to people," Cain answered fairly.

"Yeah," Hardy agreed. "Hey, where are the kids?"

"Shelly's with Heather," Cain told him. "Anna and Noel... haven't seen them since this morning, actually. Did you see them?" he asked Florinia and Taka.

"Not today," Florinia replied.

"They were gone when I woke up. Are they staying here, full-time?" Taka asked, sitting up straighter.

"Yeah, since we all got here," Cain frowned. "I wonder if Anna took off with Shelly and Heather. Char's at home, I can check with her."

"Good idea," Hardy agreed. "They're probably around, but we should check for 'em just to be sure. I'll take the east end of town then, if you've got this end."

"I will ask the authorities," Florinia informed them. "It is possible they saw something."

"Where'm I looking?" Taka asked, standing up with all the others. "Where do they usually go?"

Cain and Florinia looked uneasy. "I mean, weren't you trying to stay under the radar?" Cain asked.

"The barrier around Labradorra is thus far impenetrable, but it does not hinder sight," Florinia agreed. "It would be better if you stayed here."

Wait. What? "I was just outside a couple hours ago! And it doesn't matter, okay, finding those kids is important. This area is trouble."

"Earlier... look, you turn up out of nowhere, claiming you left Team Meteor and were here with the blessing of my best friend. No proof, or anything. I had no way of knowing if you were telling the truth. Until Charlotte came over, for all we knew Meteor had sent you." Cain shrugged. "I figured if you were a spy, it wasn't any worse for you to be out. But you're not. So you should stay in."

"You- then why the hell did you all let me stay?" Taka looked at Cain incredulously.

"Anna," Hardy cut in.

"Yeah, Anna," Cain agreed. Even Florinia nodded.

"She is direct in her assumptions, and she frequently makes assertions that cannot be verified by fact. But her record of accurately discerning people's character is extremely high."

"...Huh." Taka sat back down. He _really_ hadn't been expecting that. "Okay, but is there anything I can do? I don't really have any plans for the next while besides laying low, and if I can do that and help out, I will. 'Least until I can give Madison back."

"Dishes," Hardy suggested immediately. "It was Noel's turn today, so it'd kind of be helping the twins?"

"Sure?" Taka frowned. "I guess."

"Great! Okay guys, let's go find the twins. C'mon!" Cain hopped up. And they were out the door more or less before Taka knew it, although not before he heard Cain tell Hardy in a barely-lowered voice, "By the way, we all know it was your turn to do the dishes."

Taka actually laughed.

  
The quiet was welcome, truth be told. He did the dishes, letting Klefki out to sort the silverware and have a snack. Taka wished he could bring out all of his Pokemon, but Minior and Gliscor tended to be a bit rambunctious when they played. And he was fairly sure that setting Exeggutor loose in a building would cause more damage than some of the smaller PULSE machines, especially with his penchant for causing earthquakes.

The others returned a few hours later, Hardy and Florinia first, followed about ten minutes later by Cain, and then Charlotte, who'd joined the hunt when Cain checked in with her. None of them had seen the twins, although according to Charlotte, one of the trainers at her Gym thought he had seen them by the Pokemart while he was on his lunch break. Hardy declared his intent to search Route 4 the next day, while Florinia suggested she and Cain could search Route 3.

"But- why the hell aren't we still looking? Meteor has two bases around here, they could get in trouble!" Taka stood up, looking out the window as though the twins might appear at any moment.

"I'm worried too, but it'll be hard to find them at night, and anyway this isn't the first time they've wandered off. Actually, wasn't there something about a Ferris Wheel being built at the circus?" Cain remembered. "Kids love Ferris Wheels."

"Whoever goes down there better bring me some freaking cotton candy," Charlotte said darkly. "I should phone Victoria and request a leave of absence so I'm not chained to this freaking Gym. I could totally take Connal if I saw him again."

"Anyway, we should all eat something and they might turn up," Hardy finished. "Hey, Rini, while you're here can you do some more signal hunting?"

Florinia stood up. "I can make an attempt, but it would be easier if we were simply told." She looked mildly at Taka. "It would be helpful."

"No," Taka shook his head. "Sorry."

"I thought you were on our side now," Hardy frowned at him. "Just say where it's coming from, or how we can get through, or something!"

"Look, the sooner you all give up on Agate the better. I'm serious. Some things are just a lost cause."

"Uh, dude, you're talking about my sister," Cain raised an eyebrow. "Nobody's giving up on her."

"Heck no," Hardy agreed. "And that's my Gym in there. What are you trying to pull?"

Taka opened his mouth to answer, stopped, and took a deep breath. "Guys, I'm sorry. I'm honestly sorry, about your sister, and if I could do anything to get her back I would. But you don't have any idea how dangerous it is there. If you went there now, it wouldn't end well. For you. So I'm not telling you where it is."

"...There's got to be a back door, or... something," Charlotte reasoned.

"If there is, it's one they want you to use. I'm serious. I'm sure you'll get your sister back, but not like that." Taka shook his head. "I'll try and think of another way."

Florinia turned to Hardy. "I will attempt to locate the signal, however, there may be benefit to listening to what our new guest has to say. Danger is not a wise thing to disregard."

"...Thanks, Florinia," Hardy sighed. "I guess I'll cook."

Florinia turned and headed down the hallway without another word, and Hardy went to the kitchen, leaving Taka alone with Cain and Charlotte.

  
Later, after everyone had eaten, Taka went upstairs to feed Madison. She seemed to have taken over an unused bed; Charlotte had mentioned earlier that Laura's room was empty now, so he figured Madison had stolen her room. The Fearow gave him an affectionate peck after she finished her food, and he pet her head softly. It was almost funny, how the only one who seemed to trust him completely here was this Pokemon. Not that he blamed them. Still, it was nice, having this familiar creature nearby. He let Chatot out again, and the two Flying-types immediately let out several whistles in greeting. Taka grinned as he watched them, playing and hopping and letting out little squawks. It was good to see them happy.

"Hey." Taka looked behind him, and saw Hardy leaning on the doorframe. He was watching the Pokemon, too, amusement written across his features.

"Hey. Just thought Chatot might want to see his buddy."

"They really get along," Hardy observed. "Hey, listen, mate, I was out of line. I'm just... really frustrated." He scuffed the carpet with his boot.

"No, no. You were right on, honestly. I'm not sure why I'm not telling you where to get in." Taka shrugged. "...Maybe I've just had enough of being the reason people get hurt." He motioned for Hardy to come in, and he did, taking a chair by the door.

"You wanted out of there for long?" Hardy asked.

"It's kinda complicated," Taka began. "...But yeah." He watched the Pokemon, now having a feathery wrestling match. Madison was so much larger than Chatot that he was mostly rolling around on her wing, pretending to be pinning her. She obligingly kept her wing still, and matched Chatot's chatter with her own squawks.

"Sorry, man," Hardy said.

"...I really am sorry, about Aya," Taka said, finally looking away from the playfight and at the floor. "I didn't know Sirius was going to do that. I don't even know where she is. Probably Labradorra. S'where I'd be, if things didn't happen. Ironic, huh?"

"A bit," Hardy agreed. "No idea how to get through there, either?"

"It's a PULSE," Taka said. "A Mr. Mime. No one can get through unless they're let in, as far as I know. But honestly, I wouldn't bet on it standing too long." He hoped, anyway.

"You mean it's weakening?" Hardy gestured vaguely toward the window.

"No, but I mean, Romi's still out there."

Hardy laughed. "Yeah, if anyone can get it down, it's probably them. Just wish I didn't have to wait, y'know?"

Taka nodded. "Yeah."

  
The next day, and the one that followed, saw Taka's anxiety and guilt bloom more and more. When the twins still did not return, and Cain and Shelly also left, his suspicions about where people were ending up grew stronger. But with it grew his certainty that nobody could break into that place, not with the PULSE active, and he hated it. Hated that people were being hurt, and hated that he couldn't help, this time- and at the same time hated how much he _cared_ , how terrible he had become at blocking it all out. And Florinia grew closer and closer to uncovering the signal over Agate, until, on the morning of the fourth day since Anna and Noel went missing, Taka heard a cheer from the kitchen, and his heart sank.

He followed the sound and, sure enough, Hardy was standing by Florinia, hands in the air, looming over her PokeNav.

"You did it!" he yelled again, noticing Taka in the process. "Taka! Rini found the source of the signal over Agate!"

"It is not one hundred percent accurate, but nonetheless, the location seems to be narrowed to this specific area," Florinia agreed. "More research is required, however."

"Research? Why? We can go stop this thing!" Hardy smiled. "Go jam the signal, or whatever!"

"No." Taka spoke up.

"What- oh, I know, you said it's really dangerous, but we can be ready! Take supplies and bust it wide open!" Hardy gestured wildly as he spoke, waving his hands around.

"No. You don't get it. They knocked out all of Agate, they can do it to you. Instantly," Taka told him.

"Taka is correct," Florinia told Hardy. "I am unaware of the specifics, but thus far seven have disappeared and failed to return. We do not have the human resources remaining to launch a rescue effort. Further planning is required."

"Exactly!" Hardy burst out. "They have all our people! We need to go get them!"

"Until a safe, sustainable plan can be formulated, any attempt to visit this location is highly inadvisable." Florinia turned to look at something beyond Taka's head, and nodded. "Romi. Subject appears unharmed; good. Did you speak to Julia?"

Taka turned on his heel. Sure enough, Romi stood in the doorway, eyes wide. Taka had two immediate, and conflicting, reactions.

The first was that he had never felt quite so glad to see anyone in his life.  
The second was that this situation had, if possible, suddenly gotten even worse.


	3. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2.5  
> Romi arrives in Calcenon City after their Gym Battle with Amaria, and finds there's a lot to catch up on.

Suzanne the Skarmory landed on the smooth stones of Calcenon City, and Romi slid off her back. They patted her on the head gratefully and recalled her before going into the Pokecentre. 

Their next stop was the house that had seemed to become the anti-Meteor base of operations. They didn't plan to stay long, assuming Florinia was up with Charlotte in the Gym. They just wanted to check in with Cain and the twins. They certainly hadn't expected to open the door and find the house empty aside from Hardy, Florinia and Taka arguing in the kitchen. Their eyes widened.

Florinia saw them first. "Romi. Subject appears unharmed; good. Did you speak with Julia?"

Romi nodded. "She was at Amaria's. Madison brought you here?" they asked Taka "Good  _girl_!" 

"Hey, Romi, great timing. Guess what? Rini found the signal that's going over Agate!" Hardy waved.

"You don't want to go there, I'm telling you," Taka said. "It's way too dangerous. It won't end well." His tone was casual, but he looked a bit nervous.

"Are you familiar with the location?" Florinia asked, turning back to Romi. They shook their head.

Hardy interjected. "Romi, people are going missing, and these two just want to do nothing. You agree we need to go, right?"

"Incorrect. Plunging ahead without adequate planning is foolhardy and likely to end in failure. Proposition: gather more data." Florinia looked pointedly at Taka as she said this. If he noticed, he gave no indication.

"Wait." Romi spoke up. "Who's missing?" 

"It started with Laura storming off," Hardy explained. "Then a couple days later Anna and Noel disappeared. Then Shelly went looking for them and Cain went with her. Then Saphira took off and Charlotte went looking for her. C'mon, we can't just do nothing!"

"For once, we're agreed." 

Romi turned around. Titania strode through the door, gaze as steely as ever. "Romi. Glad you made it." She turned back to the other three. "Doing nothing won't help anyone. But it's good to have a plan going in. You're going to help with that," she told Taka. "Being overly cautious isn't doing any good, though." 

"Right." Hardy smiled grimly. "Okay, we start planning now." 

"In a minute," Romi interrupted. "I need to talk to Taka." They caught his eye, but he didn't smile.

"Later," Titania said. "We need to make a plan."

"No. Please," Romi said. "I just need a minute." They turned to Taka. "Is it okay?" He nodded once. 

Maybe Titania was feeling generous because Romi had recently almost died thanks to her ex. Maybe she just didn't want to deal with Taka yet. Either way, she rolled her eyes mightily. "Fine. C'mon, Florinia, let's go catch up. Hardy, you too." 

"Why can't  _they_ go?" Hardy protested, already standing up anyway.

"Rom has a long trip ahead of them after this," Titania told him. "Let them rest. You come here right from the Gym?" she looked back at Romi. They nodded, and Titania turned back to her brother. "They had a long flight already. Let's go." And she more or less dragged him out the door.

 

When the door was closed, Romi turned to Taka. "Are you okay?"

He laughed mildly. "As much as I can be. It's no train, but it's as good a place to lie low as any. What happened?"

"After you left? Lin showed up, threatened Titania… it was disturbing. Titania stabbed her… but she showed up safe and sound after our Gym battle." They groaned. "Listen, they're not going to give us much time-"

"Lin came back from the dead? What the… That's even more messed up than I thought. How the- but you were okay?"

"We were fine. Were you?"

"Yeah. Just a little confused. I had no idea the Normal Leader or his sister were so… young. She dragged me in here. Seemed to trust me right away, for some reason." He laughed again. "The rest of them were smarter. Saw me with Madison and thought I'd done something to you. They called Rip Van Winkle to check on you. But Anna kept pleading my case."

"I didn't know she'd bring you here. I thought- the circus or something. Sorry. But you were safe?" Romi asked.

"I was fine. But-" He was cut off by Romi crossing the room, grabbing his hand in theirs, and kissing him. 

Emotions ran through- shock, confusion, and then happiness, a feeling like he'd been waiting for this. For their part, Romi was flooded with relief and warmth, and then more relief when they sensed Taka's happiness. But logic quickly caught up, and Taka broke away.

"No no no  _no_! What are you- we can't do this! You think Meteor's after you now? They'll go after you worse than ever." His voice tinged with panic. "They'll always find you if I'm around."

"I don't care," Romi said simply.

"I care!" he burst. "Look, I'm not okay with losing you. I've probably already lost my father, I don't want Meteor to take you too."

"I'm not afraid of Team Meteor." Romi was still calm. "I want to stop them from hurting people. But I'm not going to let Lin take my life away from me. If you don't feel the same, just tell me and I'll apologize. But I've wanted to do that for too long and when I saw you here, I just…"

 "...I can't. What the hell." He laughed incredulously, "You're right. I'm done." This time it was his turn to kiss, and his laughter bubbled through. Romi caught it, and shortly their kiss was interrupted by both of them laughing. 

"I'm sorry," Romi said through their laughter. "I can't stop." 

"Me either," Taka laughed. "Romi, you're kind of great, you know that?" 

"And you're kind of amazing," Romi retorted. "You're-"

"Okay, that's enough," Titania said, sounding bored as she opened the door and strode into the room again. "You have some messed up priorities, Romi, you realize that? The both of you do." 

"Were you listening?" Taka asked.

"Correct," Florinia said, at least having the decency to look embarrassed.

"Obviously," Titania raised an eyebrow. "In case you've forgotten, you-" she nodded at Romi- "were accused of working with that _woman_ , and you-" she pointed at Taka- " _are_  working for her." 

"Were," Taka corrected.

"Were. Whatever. The point is you're the last people I trust to leave alone." She shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know if this is better or worse." 

"Rom was never with Team Meteor, Titania, I know. There's a poster of them in most of the bases by now telling people to watch out, because they've raided most of them." Taka shrugged. Romi and Hardy laughed. 

"Current data suggests this is the case," Florinia agreed. "At any rate, probability of success increases with numbers. Perhaps trusting each other is logical in this situation." 

"...Yeah, probably," Titania shrugged. "She's a liar anyway. Lin. So. You two ready to help?"

"Yeah," Romi agreed, still smiling. "Oh. I forgot to ask, where's Madison now?" 

"Upstairs," Taka, Florinia and Hardy said simultaneously. Romi's eyes lit up, but at a raised eyebrow from Titania they brought their focus back to the task at hand. 

 

"I'll just get her after, then…" 


	4. Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a rescue mission mounting, and no matter how much Taka tries to stop it Hardy and Romi are determined to save their friends.
> 
> The scary thing is, he's starting to understand where they're coming from.

Romi seemed happy, more than anything, at finding them all together.

They all seemed happy, really- even Florinia, in her own weird way, looked pleased to see them. And at the moment Taka almost wished he could take a page out of her book, with the emotion suppression. Because Romi was _here_ , and all the relief and happiness from when Charlotte had announced their safety came flooding back and at the same time Taka was now twice as afraid, and put together it was _really_ not helping him convince the others not to go marching off into a trap. And then, just for good measure, Titania arrived.

  
When he'd met Saphira, Taka had gotten the sense that she didn't like him. With Titania it was not just a sense, and her glare reassured him that it had not changed since they last met- not that he could blame her. And now they were all talking and telling Romi what had happened, and Taka couldn't collect his words fast enough, and-

"In a minute. I need to talk to Taka."

Oh, thank Arceus.

"Later," Titania dismissed. "We need to make a plan."

"No, please. I just need a minute." Romi looked his way. "Is it okay?"

If it was going to make things slow down for even a minute, Taka was all for it. He nodded.

To his surprise, Titania relented. She even managed to rope the rest into leaving the kitchen so they could talk.

  
The quiet was heaven. But Romi breaking it, to ask if he was okay, was not unwelcome, either. He filled them in, as best he could, about what had been happening since they last spoke, and they in turn explained what had happened to them, after he left.

Lin's apparent return from being stabbed to death was... disturbing, horrifying, but somehow not nearly as surprising as it should've been. Something about that woman was _wrong_ , and that... fit in, with that. But it was also terrifying, because she'd been there, and he didn't even want to imagine what might have happened if he'd stayed- but instead, Romi had stayed-

And that fear in their eyes, that haunting concern, was back, and again, all they seemed to want to know was that he was okay. He could kind of relate, honestly, especially after that disturbing story about Lin. He wished they would talk more about themself.

"I was fine, but-"

And then Romi crossed the room and they were _kissing_ , and Taka, for one brief moment, wasn't afraid at all.  
And then of course, just at the moment he realized that, all his _reasons_ rushed back. Everything he had told himself since that _jolt_ in the desert, at the Tower, about why some wishes were still best left unstated. And on top of them scrambled the panic of just how _much_ he felt, and how the last time they'd gotten even close to this moment Lin had appeared and nearly killed them both. And he broke away and hurried to explain, how he couldn't lose them, how if Romi stayed near him they'd be in even more danger than usual and that wasn't okay.

Romi insisted quietly that they would not be defined by _her_ , that they would live their own life and feel how they felt and would only apologize if Taka himself wanted them to.

And Taka, as ever, found himself completely unable to lie to them. Unable, and even unwilling. He actually felt a little braver. And Romi was smiling, and laughing.

So, of course, they both had to be brought back to earth.

  
Of _course_ the others were listening in. Of _course_ Titania and Hardy wanted to get back on track. Of _course_ Romi agreed to go, without even hesitating.

"I'm not just gonna stay here and let you go. I told you before, it wouldn't end well, even for you." Taka told them after the argument picked up again.

"I'm sorry," Romi said quietly. "They have my friends."

"Then we'll figure out another way."

"Do you have one?" Florinia cut in.

"...No, not yet."

Romi stood. "I have to go."

Taka jumped to his feet. "Fight me, then. I may not be with Meteor anymore, but I'll still stop you."

When Romi looked at him, there was a sadness in their eyes that broke his heart. "I don't want to fight you."

"You have to! You can't just keep walking away from me, Romi. Arceus knows I don't deserve it, but I still wish you respected me." Taka sighed. It was a weak ploy, but he'd already tried being threatening, and that was even weaker. He had never once stopped Romi, and they both knew it.

Still, they looked a little less determined, a little sadder. But only a little. "I do respect you," they told him intently. "But they need saving. And I have to help. Or I couldn't respect _me_."

"...I know," Taka sighed. "...Okay. It's a Hypno. The PULSE, over Agate. It can put people to sleep, but they won't have it targetting the factory. But they can direct it at people, Ro, they'll turn it on you if you go there. I know it. You won't know what you're doing. They can control people like that."

Well, that was unexpected. "Is there any way to resist it?" Romi asked, eyes wide.

"No? I don't know. Don't get in the same room with it. I think it needs proximity to control someone. Or just don't go," he added.

"This information will be valuable in formulating a plan. It is appreciated," Florinia scribbled on a paper.

"I already said, I _have_ to-"

"I know," he said again. "I should've brought it up before. I didn't want anyone going there. You have no idea how awful it is." He turned to Romi. "But I know I can't stop you, either. Never could."

They grinned. "You never really wanted to."

"Not until now. I'm serious, Ro, be careful. Both of you," Taka amended, turning to Hardy. "I think there's a service elevator there, try that. I don't actually know what's there anymore, they've been moving everything over to Labradorra. Just, try not to let them know you're there, if you can."

"We got this, mate," Hardy nodded. "We'll have each other's backs and be there and back in a jiffy." Romi nodded in agreement.

"Romi, you previously mentioned keeping the communicator from the infiltration of Devon Corp. Is it still in your possession?" Florinia asked.

"Mhm. You have one?" Romi dug through their bag briefly, then produced a small black box covered in various buttons.

"Indeed. I was instructed to keep it at all times, in case of an emergency at my Gym. I believe you were intended to return yours, but under the circumstances it was more than reasonable that you forgot, and could be advantageous now in any case. "

"Hey, nice!" Hardy whistled. "Have any spares?"

"Unfortunately, no. If you stick together, however, it will not be an issue. Let us know if you find the others, or if you are in need of help."

"And turn on your PokeNav," Titania jerked her head toward her brother.

"You're one to talk," Hardy retorted.

Titania scowled. "Don't be a smartass. Keep the thing on."

"I will, sis, I will," Hardy sighed.

"Okay," Romi nodded. "Be back." And they turned and headed up the stairs.  
Approximately ten seconds later, an extremely loud "Fea!" pierced through the walls, and a soft thump, followed by some very muffled laughter and happy-human sounds.

Taka wished Anna and Noel were here for this. Hardy was laughing, and even Titania was smiling faintly.

It wasn't long before Romi came slowly down the stairs, clomping slightly in large brown hiking boots and carrying Madison in both arms. The Fearow had her neck wrapped around Romi's shoulders and it was clear the position was awkward, but Romi made no move to set her down. With some difficulty they peeked their head over Madison's back and looked over at Hardy.

"Ready?" they asked him.

"Yeah," he managed through his laughter. "Uh, it'll be a hard hike like that."

"She can go in her ball when we get outside," Romi grinned. "But I missed her."

"Rowww!" Madison agreed, snuggling her head in more.

"Please remember to exercise caution," Florinia advised. "If it should prove to be too dangerous, retreat."

"Got it," Hardy nodded. "Hey, Rini, look after these two nerds while we're gone, alright?"

"Our position is much more stable, and they are both adults. But I will."

"Look after _yourself_ ," Titania rolled her eyes. Then her gaze softened slightly. "Both of you."

"...We will," Hardy told her.

  
"Romi-"

"Taka-" they both began at the same time.

"Just. Be careful out there."

"You too," Romi said sincerely. "Thanks for the heads-up."

"Thanks for the lift," Taka half-laughed. "Chatot liked the company."

"Heh, I'm glad. Glad you got away." Madison stretched her head out until Taka grinned and petted it.

"You too," he said. "Seriously, Ro, be careful. There's a reason no one's gotten in there before now. It'd suck to lose you in there."

"I'll be fine. _Someone's_ gotta help you stop Team Meteor, after all. Like you said in the desert." Romi grinned. "We'll be careful. You do too."

"Thanks."

"Okay, Maddie, you ready?" The Fearow crowed her assent, and Romi recalled her to her Pokeball.

"See you guys in a bit," Hardy waved, and the two of them took off through the gate to Route 4.

 

When they had gone, Titania turned abruptly to Florinia. "We should catch up, anyway," she told her.

"'Catching up' likely remains an irrelevant activity, " Florinia shook her head.

"Maybe not," Titania disagreed.  
Taka left them to chat. It was well enough they kept busy anyway. He went back into the house and gathered up his Pokeballs, tidying the couch on the way through.

"What are you doing?" Florinia asked once Taka looked up finally and saw her.

"Taking off," he shrugged. He hadn't even heard her come inside. "Gotta find somewhere I can let my Pokemon out. Exeggutor's been in his Pokeball all week."

"A trip to Agate Circus would not be inadvisable, after Hardy and Romi have returned," Florinia suggested. "The children would most likely find it a pleasant experience."

"Nah. It's been nice staying here, but Meteor's gonna track me down if I'm in one place too long. More or less what happened in the desert." He tossed his scarf over one shoulder.

"So you're leaving now? Don't tell me this is all some kind of setup." Titania came up behind him. "What did you send them into?" He could hear the building anger in her voice.

"I swear, I told you everything I know," Taka shrugged again. "I also told them not to go there. Told everyone. And my Exeggutor needs some exercise."

"Where're you taking it, anyway?" Titania asked, suddenly no longer sounding angry. He turned to see her smirking.

"Somewhere. I dunno," Taka squeezed between the two and headed for the door.

"It would be much more prudent to remain here," Florinia told him. "A call for help could come from Hardy or Romi at any time. And both expressed concern for your safety."

"Romi's got Madison back, and Hardy's a Gym Leader. You don't need me anymore. I've gotta go," he insisted.

"Going alone to the Factory is highly inadvisable," Florinia said, "especially given the information you yourself provided about its danger."

Taka startled, then raised an eyebrow. "Why would I go there? I already said how bad it is there."

Titania was still smirking. "You really are the most terrible liar. You weren't doing too badly until that bit about Romi and Hardy fending for themselves- it was still bullshit, but plausible bullshit- but that was overkill."

"...Whatever," Taka sighed. "Don't try and stop me."

"Why are you insisting on doing something so illogical?" Florinia asked.

"What are you going to do if they call for help?" Titania asked. "If they need backup?"

"I'll _be there_ ," Taka frowned. "If they do call, send as many people as you can find. I'm only one more. But I've been there before."

"You're really doing this?" Titania looked at Taka intently before shrugging and turning away. "...Okay, fine."

"Romi and Hardy both expressed concern for your safety," Florinia repeated. "Furthermore, Hardy specifically asked me to ensure it."

"Listen. I've been there. I've seen that PULSE." Tested it. "I'm sorry. I've got to go." And before either could stop him, he took off out the door.

  
Route 4 was cold, especially after Tourmaline Desert, but Taka barely felt it. He'd been to the Glass Workstation a number of times, but it was always through the warps or, once, through Agate City. He had no idea which direction to go, no choice but to follow the trail of Hardy and Romi's footprints through the snowy grass. He was not an athlete, by any means, but his time since leaving Team Meteor had taught him some basic survival skills, and with some difficulty he managed to clamber up the rocky parts of the route.

Around dusk, just as the area began to look familiar, a tremor ran through the ground.

"What the hell are they _doing_?" Taka muttered, sending out Chatot. "Hey, buddy. Can you go see if Romi and Hardy got inside yet?"  
Chatot gave him an affectionate nip on the finger and flew off, following the trail. Taka broke off to wait behind a small grove of trees.

Five minutes later Chatot returned, swooping around the trees to land on Taka's shoulder. "Coast is clear! Coast is clear!" it squawked.

"Thanks, buddy," Taka ruffled the Pokemon's feathers. "Guess they got in, at least. What do you think, feel like camping tonight?"

Chatot squawked happily and looked around.  
Shortly after, with Chatot's help, Taka had collected a pile of sticks, and arranged them far enough from the trees that there were unlikely to be any accidents. He then brought out the rest of his team- all except Exeggutor.

"I'm sorry, man," he told the Pokeball. "Just a bit longer. Once Romi and Hardy get out, I'll take you for a walk. Go out to Apophyll or something."

"Gli." Gliscor stretched, sweeping some snow away from the ground so it had a solid perch. Taka patted its head and it trilled.  
Minior, despite its massive weakness to ice, was loving the snow, rolling around and spinning across the ground. Klefki floated over to investigate and got showered in snow for its troubles. It jangled in distress, and Minior's tips flashed in amusement through its stone shell.

Chatot used Heat Wave on the stick pile and flew up to sit with Komala, who had already climbed the tallest tree in the grove.

Taka, warmed by the campfire, began to relax slightly. It was almost nice. If it weren't for where they were, and why, he thought he would be quite comfortable.  
But he couldn't forget, and every hour or so he would creep out to get a better view of the Factory compound. Once or twice he thought he heard a noise, but he never saw any movement. The noise, he thought, must have come from the wild Pokemon in the area, or his own, who continued playing and frisking well into the night.

He did not sleep. Even when the last of his Pokemon had nodded off, Taka's fear kept him awake, and he spent much of the night thinking of what might be down there now, apart from the PULSE, and the constant worry of his friends getting caught.

That itself surprised him a little. Romi, he was expecting- he was fully aware that he would do some pretty stupid things to save them, if it came down to it. What he wasn't expecting was to fret about Hardy too, and if the children were doing all right- if they were down there at all, which seemed almost certain but there was no defining proof. He wanted to save them all, amd it felt strange to admit that, and to be allowed to feel it.

But his worry kept cycling back to Romi, because he knew Meteor. They wouldn't bother setting the PULSE to control Hardy directly, if they caught him. He hadn't made himself nearly the enemy Romi had to Team Meteor. They would feel they had no other choice, if Romi was caught. All Taka could hope for was that they were both careful and stayed out of sight, and that nobody was watching the cameras.  
It seemed unlikely, but he hoped.

When dawn fell on the mountain, Taha had paced all around the perimeter of the Workstation, trying to get a sense of their plan. From what he could tell, the most likely entry point was a hole where the old construction elevator used to be; the elevator was gone now, but a gaping hole remained, and there were definitely footprints leading to and around it.

There were also footprints leading to the old shed, and that was what made Taka pause. That shed was most likely the only way out if they did manage to find everyone, and the way the footprints also seemed to lead away from the shed suggested that they had found it locked. He could help with that much, at least.

Walking back to the grove where he had set up the campfire, Taka scanned around. Gliscor, still asleep. Minior drawing snow-scribbles between the trees. Chatot and Komala snuggled up on a tree branch. No sign of..,

"Klefki?"

The little Key Pokemon zipped out from beneath another tree, stopped next to Taka, and whistled in question.

"I need your help, bud. Feel up to it?" Taka asked, crouching down.

Klefki spun in the air and whistled gleefully, zooming in circles around Taka's feet and making him laugh.

"Okay, okay. Follow me."

  
Once they had made their way over behind the shed, Taka squatted in the snow and pointed. "Okay, Thunder Wave on that camera."  
Klefki jingled its keys in what might have been a salute before zipping up and jolting the camera with a soft yellow flash.

It would be enough, Taka knew; he had done this more than once since he'd been on the run, and if he could scramble the cameras at the train station he felt sure that this one would be no different. So he stepped over to the door and dub into his pocket as he waited for Klefki to return to his side.

"Thanks, little guy," he told his Pokemon, retrieving a berry from his pocket and holding it out. With a high squeal Klefki pounced on it, and Taka grinned.

He was prepared to pick the lock, but the door swung open easily. Klefki hovered into the dim shed, looking around curiously, and Taka followed slowly.

The room was messier than Taka remembered it, with scraps of paper strewn about and boxes piled against nearly every inch of wall. The elevator was active, though; it hummed softly, the only sound apart from Taka's footsteps and Klefki's faint jingling. It did not take long to search, and in the end Taka thought he was no more sure of which way they'd gone than before entering the shed. There were a couple puddles of water on the floor that might have been from snowy boots, but there was no telling how long those had been there.  
Still, the working elevator gave him a little hope. Maybe this rescue mission really would be as straightforward as Hardy had seemed to believe.

And maybe Spoink would learn Fly, but it was a nice thought.

He waited for Klefki to float out of the shed before leaving himself, tucking safely back into the treeline. His Pokemon zoomed ahead, glinting in the sunlight, and Taka grinned as he slowly made his way around to the hole in the ground.

"Interesting. Butterfree, Sleep Powder."

The voice was vaguely familiar, came seemingly out of nowhere, and was all Taka knew before he was seized by a buzzing drowsiness and blacked out.

~~

"Taka! You're right on time!" Light swam back into Taka's vision, and he looked around for the speaker. "I must say, we weren't expecting you, of all people."

"Bennett? Since when were you stationed here?" Taka frowned. "Also, is this what we're doing now? Sneak attack? Really?"

"Missed a lot on your little vacation, huh? Don't worry. You're here just in time to help us test out our new toy." He opened the door onto Taka's worst nightmare.

Head and back stood straight and still, unnaturally so, as if held up against an invisible wall. Soft white hair coming loose from its band and falling around closed eyes and a blank, expressionless face.  
He'd seen that look before.

"Romi!" Taka called out before he could think. He tried to run and discovered he was still not quite recovered from the sleep powder, and settled for standing while he got his balance back again. He noticed Cain on the other side of the room, looking similarly rigid, and sighed.

"Finally got 'em. Did you know, Romi wouldn't stay asleep? Just kept going. Pretty sure this is the only way to keep them out of trouble." Bennet laughed. "El will love this. They already took down that purple-haired kid, and the Bug Leader before."

"What are you even planning?"

"Not really up to me," Bennett said happily. "But I'd imagine they'll be a good weapon for your group. Hey, why don't we test that out? You'll do well enough."

"What?" Taka asked. "You do know they've beaten me about 10 times, right? What are you hoping to accomplish here?"

"A test," Zero looked to Bennett hopefully. "Yes."

"Yes, and you clearly didn't return to help us out. So you might as well see what we've done without you. Romi," Bennett ordered. "Defeat Taka."

As Romi stepped forward, clutching a Pokeball, eyes still closed and expression blank, Taka felt something inside him break. Again.

"Romi, stop," Taka pleaded quietly. "This isn't you."

"On the contrary, Romi is more present than they have ever been." Bennett said. He grinned as Romi sent out Primarina. "And much more useful."

Taka stared at the two men. "You're going to regret making me do this." And he reached for his only occupied Pokeball. "Let's go. Exeggutor."

The beam of light solidified into Exeggutor, who grew taller and taller. Soon its head reached the ceiling, crumpling it easily. It blinked down at Taka curiously through the hole it had made.

Bennett and Zero stared up at it.

"Nature Power!" Taka yelled. Exeggutor obliged, a swirl of green energy pooling around its body before solidifying and turning silver. It formed into the shape of shimmering gears, and launched itself at Primarina just as Primarina sang a long, high note. A rosy mist appeared, spreading out over the floor and floating into the air. And Primarina flew backwards.

"Good boy," Taka patted Exeggutor. "Romi. _Please_."  
They didn't respond, Primarina scraping itself up from the floor and beginning to build pink light up around its body.

Fear rose in Taka, the way he hadn't felt in a long time before today. "Exeggutor, Wood Hammer. Be careful."

Primarina's buildup of light was interrupted by a swiftly swung tail, and it crumpled. Romi recalled it, face as impassive as ever, and sent out their next Pokemon.

Gabite.

Surprised, Taka held out his hand. "Nino? It's me. You've gotten big!" Nino eagerly scampered over to greet Taka, gently nosing at his hand. "Good to see you too, buddy."

"Focus!" Zero commanded angrily. Romi straightened even more, and Nino growled sadly as he returned to his Trainer's side.

Taka looked up at Exeggutor. "I'm sorry. Dragon Hammer. Be careful."

Obediently Exeggutor bent and swung his head toward Nino, letting out a concerned whistle. Nino screeched, and chomped down on Exeggutor as it passed, but the momentum was still too great. Nino was pinned to the floor, and could only get in a few more bites before he slumped over, and he too was recalled. This time Romi wasted no time in their choice.

Taka cracked.

The little Honedge had grown magnificently since Taka had last seen it, now a gleaming Aegislash. It stood at attention, waiting for Romi's direction. Romi only pointed at Exeggutor.

"Exeggutor, dodge. Hey, Romi! Remember when we found Qito? He was waiting at the top of that tower. You had to do all the locks because I had no idea where to start!"

Exeggutor sidestepped, scattering the fading pink mist. Qito spread its swords wide and began sparkling silver.

"Dragon Hammer! You just wanted to see it all. I was just remembering being there before, and you kept offering to leave. But you were so _excited_ , Ro. I couldn't make you walk away from that!"

The Flash Cannon connected before Exeggutor could even wind up. He fell backwards onto his bottom- Taka recalled him before his heads could do any more damage or get hurt. Qito stood there, waiting. Taka ran forward.

"When we found Qito up there you felt so bad for him, you didn't want him to be alone anymore. And I realized then that I trusted you, whatever you did. I still trust you, Ro. Wake up!"

"You're embarrassing yourself," Bennett said. "They can't hear you. They don't even know you're here. Why waste time on sentimentality? Continue your battle!"

"I'm done," Taka shrugged. "Eggs was the only one I had on me. "

"You know what it's time for~"

Everyone but Romi and Cain, held by the PULSE, turned. Into the room walked Gossip Gardevoir, Luna, Serra, and- a tall Youngster in a strange mask. Komala clung to the tall one's hat, Klefki floated alongside Gardevoir, and Luna cradled Minior in her arms. Chatot and Gliscor swept in past them and over to Taka.

"Lights, cameras, aaand... drama?" Gardevoir finished, looking slightly confused as the flock of Pokemon crowded over to Taka.

"Well, I believe we've found the owner of our charming tour guides," the Youngster gestured toward the scene. Hang on- that voice-

"Romi! We should have guessed it was you!" Gardevoir said happily.

"I suspect that is not quite the Romi we know," the man- yes, it was definitely Radomus- said. "Isn't that right, my boy?" He squatted and set down his jacket, carrying the unconscious Shelly to rest on it.

"Hypno," Taka spoke tersely, still petting his Pokemon. "Save them. Please. I couldn't."

"Now, is it not too soon to-"

"Bennett!" Serra interrupted, running to the edge of where Bennett stood.

"Oh, for- Mother? Why did you come here too?" Bennett looked at Taka. "A diversion? Why would you bother?"

"I have no idea who that is," Serra shook her head. "I came for you, obviousl- your hair... it looks... better."

"I'm _aware_ , Mother, thank you. Please go."

Taka more or less tuned them out. Luna was patting Gliscor on the head. "Did Florinia call you?" he asked her and Radomus.

"Good morning, Taka. No, my dear friend Shade indicated I should come here. And my entire family came along!" She smiled. "But what has happened to you? Your Pokemon seemed awfully upset when they found us."

The lights flickered, and Taka looked up. Romi and Cain still looked blank.

"Zero, what are the lights doing?" Bennett asked, irritated.

"It's just a momentary dip in the power," Zero called down. "I, um, I don't think it's anything to worry about."

"You may not be a child, but are your actions truly becoming of an adult?" Radomus asked Bennett.

Much as he would've liked to hear Bennett getting chewed out, it wasn't quite a priority. "I was here to get them out. Romi, Cain, everyone. But they caught me. My Pokemon were outside."

Luna's attention was diverted as Bennett spoke to her, and Taka saw Chatot behind her, sitting on Romi's shoe.

"Rescue Romi. Rescue Romi," he squawked, looking sadly into Romi's unseeing face.

"Little chance," Zero, who also seemed uninterested in the argument with Bennett, leaned against the rail watching Romi, Cain, Taka and the small army of Pokemom. As if to prove him wrong, the lights dimmed again.

"Zero, is the Pulse using too much power, or something?" Bennett asked. "Romi, recall your Aegislash."

Qito immediately returned to his Pokeball.

"The energy readings appear to be within acceptable levels. The stupid thing just keeps power cycling for some reason!" Wait. _Hardy_. Was it possible...?

"But, um, it doesn't seem to have interrupted its hypnosis. So please don't worry. So don't hesitate if you want us to use Romi to grind them into dust!" Zero assured Bennett.

"Zero, we only need to subdue them, not do anything drastic. Besides, Solaris wouldn't appreciate it, I'm sure." He laughed.

"That man seems mildly unwell," Radomus observed, nodding towards Zero.

"Subdue them, huh? Okay." Zero nodded. "Romi, would you be so kind?" Romi stepped forward, Chatot fluttering off their foot and onto Taka's knee.

"So that's how it is," Luna said, understanding dawning in her voice.

"You have Romi hypnotized," Serra agreed.

"And that hideous PULSE over there is the source," Gardevoir nodded.

"Then there is only one thing we must do, is there not? We must defeat Romi in order to free them."

"They were wise to seize Romi," Radomus noted. "They have already bested all of us at some point. Or nearly all?" he asked Taka.

"About ten times by now," Taka assured him. "Including about five minutes ago."

"But they haven't beaten all of us together," Gardevoir chirped.

"Wait," Luna shook her head. "Master, there was something you wished to do, was there not? Please allow me to begin. Bennett, you claim to have changed, and you have chosen your side. If you are genuine in your prior assertions, then do what it is you set out to do for yourself now."

Bennett closed his eyes. "You mean that if I truly respect you as a person, I need not take pity on or spare you as an enemy?"

"Luna, what are you-" Taka began, but Gardevoir hushed him.

"It was never my intention for it to come to this, but so be it," Bennett sighed. "All right. Romi. Defeat Luna."

As Romi stepped forward to battle, Radomus walked over to Taka. "My boy, how are your Pokemon? I fear we may need your help," he said quietly.

"Exeggutor is down for the count. The rest of 'em... haven't battled, but we've been camping outside all night. They're tired. My bag's still out there," he admitted.

"Do not worry, I have some potions of my own. I am a Gym Leader, after all, am I not?" He gave a crooked grin and handed Taka a few of the spray bottles. The Pokemon crowded around, eager for a spritz, and Gardevoir watched them with amusement.

"There, isn't that better? Be ready," Radomus nodded to Taka.

"I-" Taka took a deep breath. "I don't know if I can fight them again. Not like this. "

"Then let us hope you will not have to," Radomus said, giving Taka a firm pat on the shoulder.

The battle between Luna and Romi could most generously be described as "one-sided." Luna had already lost three Pokemon by the time Taka had finished healing his team (minus Exeggutor, as he didn't dare send him out again with so many people in the room now) and Romi was still going strong with their remarkably well-recovered Primarina. Taka assumed it was partially down to simple type matchups, but there was no denying Romi's skill. Singularly focused on the battle, they made not a single mistake. Luna, too, fought intently, but there was very little she could do. In the end she fared even worse than Taka had.

"So this is it," Luna said pensively. "But this was only the natural outcome."

Zero, watching the battle, grinned manically. "There is NO standing up to us anymore! With Romi on our side, we might as well be invincible!"

Luna looked at him curiously. "Are you so sure of that? After all, my only role here was to soften Romi up enough for my parents to overcome. We will triumph as a family."

Privately Taka thought Luna hadn't done much to soften Romi up. They had already fought two battles before her- three if you counted him, which he barely did- and showed no sign of slowing down. It was a little frightening, honestly. But it wasn't Romi, and Taka knew it. Romi would have melted to see Chatot looking so sad. Romi would have answered him.

Could these people really save them?

"Don't worry, Luna, dear," Gardevoir assured her. "Even through Romi, there's no way we'll lose to these creeps. Right, Master?"

"I suppose it's our turn after all," Radomus agreed. "Miss Voclain, may I have the honour of this battle?"

Serra stood next to him. "The last time a man asked me that, he left the arena crying."

Radomus bowed. "That is a risk I am interested in taking, right now."

"Then let's hope you can satisfy," Serra smirked, ignoring Bennett's protest. Taka couldn't exactly blame him.

"This situation is stacked. Romi, use these!" Bennett tossed them a couple of spray bottles. "And Zero, actually do something for once."

"Seriously?" Taka asked Bennett.

"That's your cue, Romi," Zero ignored him. "Get them!"

Romi strode forward again. This battle, Taka was relieved to see, actually seemed to be causing Romi some trouble. It almost made him smile. They had told him, in the desert, that they were awful at double battles, and now, while by no means awful, they were definitely having a much more difficult time. It was reassuring, somehow, to see that they were in there, on some level.

While they battled, Taka walked over to Hypno's other prisoner. "Hey, Cain. You okay in there?" Cain didn't react. Taka patted his shoulder. "We're trying to get you outta here." He looked back over at the battle and frowned.

"Just what is this trainer made of?" Serra grumbled, returning her last Pokemon.

"Providence, I suspect," replied Radomus thoughtfully as the lights dimmed again. "My boy?"

"Romi performs even better than I expected. Perhaps I've underestimated that woman," Bennett said.

Zero grinned. "And it's all thanks to my PULSE!"

"I'll fight," Taka said loudly. "I have my team back now. Let me try."

"Another test? All right," Zero agreed. "Romi, defeat-"

"No," Bennett said. "Stop. This is pointless."

"Romi, fight me," Taka insisted. "I'm not letting you say no this time."

"For the last time, they can't hear you, and it isn't up to you," Bennett interrupted. "Tell me, is Romi even aware of your little crush? Or are you no better than I was, projecting your feelings onto someone without considering their own autonomy?"

Taka recoiled as if hit. "I- no-"

"I heard you let them go, back at the Water Treatment Plant," Bennett observed. "You've clearly been letting your emotions get the better of you. Enough to lead you away from everything you believed in."

"Look who's talking," Serra looked at him incredulously. "You left your family behind on a promise from a stranger!"

"I never... it's not..." Taka stammered. He felt Luna's hand on his shoulder again.

"I have yet to see a door that Romi could not pass, when their mind was set on it," she told Bennett. "It is why they were such a delight in their Gym Battle. Is it not more likely they simply got away on their own?"

"Yeah, I... no," Taka slumped. "What's the point? Yeah, I let them go. I didn't care. Do you know how exhausting it is trying to keep up with a lie? I hated it. The only reason I stuck around was for my father. And yeah, so maybe Ro made me think I had a right to my own opinions. Is that really so wrong?"

"We're more alike than I realized," Bennett raised an eyebrow. "But I have learned from my mistakes, while you are no better than Zero with this pointless endeavour. You're even evading the question."

"Ex-excuse me?" Zero stammered.

"I believe he's answered it quite admirably, actually," Radomus told Bennett, nodding towards Taka.

Taka opened his mouth to speak, but Bennett waved him off. "It doesn't actually matter. As for you, Zero, there was no need for this. You could have put them all to sleep and been done with it."

"But, um, it was a very good test-"

"Be silent. You've just been enjoying puppetting Romi around because you're frustrated with them. Nothing is gained by battling now when we'll just put them to rest anyway."

"No you won't," Taka stepped toward Bennett's rail.

"They wouldn't _stay_ asleep," Zero protested. "And you said-"

"I said to do something, not to jeopardize the PULSE's security in a 1-vs-2 scenario," Bennett scowled. "I will take responsibility for the fights with Taka and Luna, but this battle served no other purpose than to stroke your own ego."

"I just wanted to make sure Romi was completely under control-"

"You wanted to _feel_ that control," Bennett said coldly. "I assume because you've lacked autonomy over your own body for so long. Am I wrong?"

"Bennett," Taka warned. Bennett ignored him.

"I read your file. You were just a grunt before joining with those girls, correct? And an incompetent one. They were your only chance to stand out, which is why you cling to them even now. But you haven't changed. Your behaviour today exemplifies your incompetence. You let your emotions get in the way of your outcome."

Taka's skin grew cold. His father had said something not unlike that himself, many times. About not letting emotions get in the way. Taka had become very good at that- or at least, good at pretending. The longer he spent away from Team Meteor the more he realized it had never been more than pretense. He had just channelled those emotions into hating himself, instead.

"Bennett, stop," Taka said, unable to stop his voice from shaking.

"I'm not finished. Until you learn to set ambitions aside, truly focus on yourself and your goals, you will never change. Both of you."

"Did that missionary teach you that?" Serra asked, looking skeptical.

"No, Mother," Bennett quieted. "That man has done little more than set me on a path I cannot hope to walk as I am now. In realizing that, I learned to take a step back and take a more serious approach to self-improvement. I believe the results speak for themselves."

"You're still sitting on the wrong side of the coin with those results of yours," Serra insisted.

"Is it really wrong to repay one's debts?" Bennett asked.

"The end of a means does not make its meaning end," Radomus interrupted gently. "Are you sure you are not just running from your own choices?"

Taka shut his eyes. He had heard this before, too, albeit far more sharply. It was, after all, more or less what Titania had told him right before everything went to hell. What Romi had said themselves, in that one silent refusal to fight.  
He felt a gentle pat on his shoulder and looked up to see Luna, watching her parents and smiling.

"Zero, this has dragged on for far too long already. If you truly want to make yourself useful, put them all to sleep already so we can move on."

"There's too many of us," Taka said, starting for the stairs.

"Stay back," Gardevoir said sharply. Taka felt himself stop. He stared at her as she herself moved forward and pulled him telekinetically backwards. "You won't..."

"Gardevoir?" Luna asked, putting a hand on the Pokemon's arm. "You are already injured. There is no need to push yourself further..."

"They would put Master to sleep," Gardevoir interrupted in a strained voice. "Toss him aside and never let him wake up again. Maybe dispose of him outright after what he did. I'll... I'll never, ever let that happen!" She closed her eyes and frowned, deep in concentration.

"Uh," Taka said. "What is she-"

"Gardevoir," Radomus said sharply, seeming to realize something.

"Don't try to stop me," Gardevoir said calmly. "This is what I need to do. For you."

"Rather than doing something dramatic, though I know you are such a fan of that, let us have faith in the world, and our other companions," Radomus suggested. "Let-"

"Who is left?" Gardevoir burst out. "Who can stop Romi? Who won't just be put to sleep? This is my purpose!"

"Let me through," Taka said. "I have an idea."

"This is not your purpose!" Radomus insisted.

"Yes, it is!" Gardevoir cried. "To make sure you lived on, all those years ago- that is what she asked me to do! I'll destroy this machine all together!"

Radomus' face went pale. "She-"

"No harm will come to your master, Gardevoir," Bennett said quickly, looking paler than usual. "I swear it. He will sleep, nothing more. When this is over-"

"Liar!" Gardevoir hissed, and Taka felt himself being pushed back even further. He struggled against it. "After everything you've done to Luna and Romi, after everything Team Meteor plans to do after this? You want to make promises now? I'll never believe that!"

"Someone get to Romi," Taka urged the others standing nearby. "They have a communicator, I think. We can call for help."

"Gardevoir, please!" Luna stepped forward toward Romi, seemingly unaffected by the psychic energy. "Do not do this!"

"This energy..." Serra rubbed her arms.

"In the most dire of circumstances, it is said that Gardevoir can use all of their energy to go so far as even creating a small black hole," Luna explained, rummaging through the motionless Romi's pockets. "Here!" She tossed a small green device across the room, caught easily by Serra and handed to Taka.

Gardevoir began to speak again, but Taka was too busy pressing buttons to hear it. "Titania! Florinia! There's an emergency, get here as soon as you can-"

"Zero! Let Cain go, and seize her before it's too late!" Bennett yelled. Taka heard a loud electronic squeal on the communicator and clutched tightly to it, as Cain slumped to the floor and the room darkened again.

"Master... whatever happens, just remember... I will always love you more than she, or anyone else, ever could."

Zero frantically adjusted a switch, but the room kept darkening, and Cain, Romi and Luna were still-

"Her energy is spiraling out of control... Everyone, get out of here!" Bennett yelled just as Taka felt the psychic hold on him dissipate.

"What about them?" Taka yelled back, panic building yet again.

"There's no time," Bennett insisted. "Volcarona, go!" And Taka felt something grab him again, by the shirt this time, before the room darkened, a second loud screech ripped through his ears, and he hit a wall very hard.

  
Taka didn't think he passed out. He couldn't remember losing consciousness. But he did feel very foggy and far away, and the first thing he was fully aware of was El- he thought- talking to Bennett across a gaping black emptiness, like a sea in the middle of the room.

"But you enact them all the same," El said through Taka's haziness.

"With little alternative," Bennett retorted. "But now that you mention it, I can disappear from here. They will conclude I was lost in the damage. I can escape this. Why did it have to cost Luna? And Gardevoir... thank you."

Luna... Luna was here... wait. "Luna?" Taka sat up and looked around. "Where- where are they? Romi?"

"Stay calm, my boy, I will explain momentarily," El said gently. Wait. That voice... again? What the hell?

"Mother, you may rest assured I will not meddle with this group again," Bennett assured Serra.

"You're still grounded." Serra said, but she smirked.

"That's fine," Bennett grinned. "I'm still not coming home. I need to destroy the surveillance footage here..."

"Where are Cain and Romi and Luna?" Taka insisted.

"And what about your cohort? He will make a report, correct?" El-Radomus asked. Bennett paled.

"They're gone," Taka said quietly, making eye contact with Serra. "Aren't they?"

She looked worried, but nodded.

"I have to stop him," Bennett announced. "Taka, I will make sure they hear about your demise here. I'm sorry. I can do that much."

"Um.. excuse me?" A quiet, feminine voice spoke up. Taka couldn't see them from where he was, but Bennett spoke to its owner quietly. They didn't seem to be intentionally hushing their voices, but Taka's head still felt fuzzy, and he was starting to think a bit of Gardevoir's black hole had gotten inside his stomach. It made it hard to focus on the conversation.

"They have gone, my boy," Radomus put a shaking hand on Taka's shoulder. "And we have survived. And that is itself a blessing we must not overlook."

Taka didn't answer. He had failed. Again. But it was so, so much worse than any of the past times. This time there was no subtle twinge of relief inside; instead, he knew that everything was gone. He had believed, for a moment, that trying to do the right thing was worth it. That maybe he could build up some good, to cancel out all the awful he had done in his life. He'd even been sure of it, just yesterday, leaving the house in Calcenon. Because he'd believed he could help.  
He'd believed in Romi. Hell, he had believed in Romi all along. They'd forgiven him, for everything. Luna had forgiven him, too. And now they were gone. And he hadn't been able to save them, hadn't been able to help _anyone_. They were all gone.

He heard someone say Romi's name and slowly surfaced from his sludge-thick thoughts to see Serra staring blankly into the hallway.

"Let us not make a bad situation worse by exercising its extremes," Radomus told her. "It is..." he trailed off, and Taka turned to follow his gaze.  
In the middle of the great black emptiness, a shadowy figure with piercing, burning red eyes rose. The shifting form of their body was such that it was hard to make out where exactly their arms were, but they seemed to be carrying...

"Unbelievable," Radomus murmured as the figure set Romi gently down on the solid tile. They hovered there a moment, seemingly taking in the destruction, before fading away like a shadow.

Taka waited until Romi had taken a few shaky steps away from the hole before _running_ across the room. Serra stepped back automatically, still staring at where Shade had been, and allowed Taka to reach the returned Trainer.

"Romi?" he asked, hesitating just before reaching them. Their head was still down, but at the sound of his voice they lifted it, and Taka could see their eyes. They were filled with tears.

"Taka," they said, with a teary smile, and their knees finally buckled. They fell forward, into his arms.

Taka caught Romi before they hit the floor, not entirely sure what to do but hoping more than anything that Romi would not let go. They didn't; in fact, they leaned into the contact, resting their head on his shoulder and letting the tears flow. In all the time they were travelling together, in all the time he had known them, Taka had never seen Romi cry. He felt himself break again, but this time it was safe, and he too began to cry.

They sat like that for some time, Taka had no idea how long. He was dimly aware of Radomus and Serra talking quietly, but he was so filled with relief and safety and _joy_ that he simply held Romi more closely and promised himself not to let them go through one minute of this alone.

"Thank you," they said, eventually. "I'm sorry."

"You're here," Taka shook his head. "You came _back_ , Ro."

"What happened?" Romi gripped Taka's hand and looked around the room, for the first time. "Where is everyone? Espeon? Glaceon?"

Something about the question rang a bell, but he quieted as Radomus explained what had happened since they arrived and found Shelly, Cain and Taka defeated. Taka tried to fill in a few blanks, mostly about being captured and forced to fight with only Exeggutor.

"I don't know by what means or madness Shade pulled you back into this world, but it appears you have business you are not yet permitted to quit," Radomus hummed. "If I may be so bold, how was it on your end you managed to escape?"

"Luna," Romi told him.

"Luna herself showed you the way?" Radomus asked, at the same time Serra exclaimed, "Luna did?"

Radomus smiled. "It seems there are still miracles we have yet to explain. Will you still hold your wounds close, Miss Voclain?"

"I don't know what to count on, anymore," Serra admitted, staring past Romi into the hole. "Maybe nothing."

"Now you're getting it. Let us presume to hope she will be back someday," Radomus agreed. "After all, people are always coming and going... and coming back again."

 

Taka heard her before he saw her. "Romi! You made it back!" Anna barrelled into the room, Noel coming slowly behind her, and tackle-hugged the side of Romi that was not holding Taka's hand. "Not that I doubted Nostra, or anything. And you made it too!" She shifted and hugged Taka, startling him. He froze. "I hoped you would! Your wing looks better, too!"

"Where did these kids come from?" Serra asked, sounding as confused as Taka felt.

"Ohmigod," Anna yelped, letting go of Taka's arm. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm... sorry?" Serra looked at her arms and legs. "I'm fine, I think."

"Those cracks on your skin! Do you need help?" Anna asked, concern deep in her voice.

"Cracks? Am I getting wrinkles again?" Serra asked. Romi was staring at Anna thoughtfully.

"No, cracks!" Anna pointed. "See, all over here and here and here?"

"..I... don't?" Serra looked puzzled, first at Anna, then at Romi, then at Noel.

"Don't worry about that," Noel sighed. "She always sees things other people don't."

Serra laughed uncomfortably, and Taka assured her she was like that when she met him, too. But he couldn't help noticing that Romi was still watching the little girl, or how quiet they had gotten.

The discussion quickly turned to Radomus and the twins' impromptu family reunion, and then to Team Meteor. Taka shifted awkwardly when that topic came up, and to his credit Radomus did shoot Taka an apologetic look as he began his story. It was incredibly awkward, but Taka found the awkwardness a welcome break from the fear and grief he'd been feeling for most of the last few days. When Radomus told of stealing money from Meteor's coffers, and asked Romi to forgive him for the deception, Taka actually laughed.

"I understand," Romi assured him, smiling a bit themselves. Their eyes lit up when Radomus explained the Amethyst Pendant and returned it to Anna, and Taka was fairly sure he heard Serra sniffling.

"Why is Anna always the one who's special?" Noel asked, catching Taka's attention again.

For once, Radomus had no answer. Anna thrust the pendant toward her brother, who refused to take it.

"Anna, I can't even hear Nomos," he admitted. "I never could. I shouldn't hold something like that."

"I know you can't!" Anna said, holding out the pendant again to her brother.

"What?" Noel asked, confused.

"That's okay! You'll understand eventually. But if you ever want to hold the Pendants instead, just ask me, okay?" Anna said brightly.  
Taka looked around to see if this conversation made any more sense to Romi or Serra. Judging by their expressions, it didn't. Noel seemed subdued still, although there was a warmth in his expression that hadn't been there before. Taka listened vaguely, resting his hand on Romi's, until he heard a voice he had never expected.

"These are my friends, Lumi and Eve!" Anna chirped, running to the door to greet the two.

"Um, hi," Lumi- it _was_ her voice!- waved.

"We've caused a lot of trouble for you. I'm sincerely sorry," Eve bowed her head. In doing so, she finally noticed. "...Taka?"

"What are you doing here?" Lumi asked happily. Taka squeezed Romi's hand and then stood and went to the girls, shock all across his face.

"Taka has been a great help," Radomus said with dignity. "He was instrumental in stopping this latest PULSE."

The grin on Lumi's face was contagious. Taka grinned too. "Glad you two're okay. Uh, I think Zero was. Calling for you two, earlier."

"Regrettable, but accurate," Eve sighed. "How much have you filled them in?"

"Um, not a lot? Romi knows most of it, but..."

"Okay. So it's kiiind of a long story, but we were basically stuck with that guy for a long time. In the same body. I wouldn't recommend the experience," Lumi made a face.

"In essence, we've had to work for Team Meteor the entire time. I developed the PULSE systems that have been used to create an incredible degree of trouble," Eve told them.

"Thanks for that," Serra snarked.

"Hey, she didn't _want_ to," Lumi protested.

And so they proceeded to explain their reasons, and how Eve had planned to return them to their own bodies. None of it was news to Taka until Anna announced that she and her brother had switched places with them because her doll had suggested it, and that the two had helped Romi reach the PULSE.

"Wait," Taka turned back to Romi. "Didn't you say something about an Espeon and-"

"Glaceon," Lumi confirmed happily. "Thanks for taking such good care of them, Romi! And, um. I'll have her thaw out that one grunt who attacked you." Taka's eyes widened and he looked over at Romi

"Although things didn't go quite as planned once Romi arrived," Eve admitted. "We knew Zero would try to use Hypno to control you, so we tried to stop it. We cut the power as soon as he used it on you, but the power supply had an auto-reboot function."

"All we could do was power cycle the system, and hope that if we did it enough Romi would break through!"

"That was _you_? Taka asked. "But I thought- then where did Hardy go?"

"Asleep," Romi raised their eyebrow. "Glaceon and I tried to wake him up, but he kept nodding off again. I had to leave him in the elevator."

"At least he should be awake now," Lumi grinned. "I feel bad for Cain, though. He hasn't had a chance to act on his own since he got here, and now..."

"But Romi came back! So maybe Cain can too!" Anna said eagerly.

"Speaking of which, we should probably get out of here," Serra suggested, eyeing the void uncomfortably.

"Um! Would it be all right if we came with you?" Lumi asked. "We don't really know where to go to get away from Team Meteor..."

"Are you kidding? Of course!" Anna squealed.

Romi stood up, finally, and smiled at the two. "Please come with us. Back to Calcenon."

Eve smiled back. "Thank you both. I have some information about Team Meteor, and the PULSEs, that might be of interest to you all as well."

"Then it's settled! Hey, Shelly," Anna ran over to where her friend lay, still sleeping. "Wake up, sleepyhead! Look at all the friends you have here!"

And as she stirred, Taka looked around at everybody gathered there, and thought that maybe Anna had the right idea.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of this dialogue is either straight from canon, or paraphrased, so all credit for that goes to the writers of Pokemon Reborn. 
> 
> This chapter was not supposed to be a thing! But oops, I couldn't stop writing again! Hope you enjoy!


	5. Fiore Gym

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little summary of what happened after Titania and Romi had their Gym Battle, and before they both went to Calcenon.

The Gym Battle between Romi and Titania is extremely close, coming down to simple speed when each of them is on their last Pokemon. Lin appears and does her usual routine of "steel will not kill me, also I shall imply danger to Amaria and cast doubt on who you can trust" only this time she also slips in a line about Taka. Both of them are understandably freaked out, and Titania announces she's going to check on Amaria and that Romi better go too, if they know what's good for them. She takes off without another word, and Romi doesn't get the chance to remind her that they don't exactly have a ride at the moment.

Romi goes back through Train Town, has a quick chat with Europa and confirms she hasn't seen anyone out of the ordinary, and takes off back into the desert. As soon as they get out into the open desert they feel much more relaxed, both because of the familiarity and because there aren't any tunnels or walls for anyone to hide or sneak behind. They wander around for a while looking for a Flying Pokemon and end up _just_ missing several, but eventually they find a pair of Skarmory bickering with a Steelix. Romi sort of waits until the battle is over and then one of the Skarmory turns on them, and they offer it a Pokesnax and while it eats they basically ask if it would mind helping them out, that they really need a ride to go check on some friends and they'll let it go right after if it wants. And the Skarmory doesn't especially care, so she battles Romi and lets them catch her, and Romi nicknames her Suzanne.

The two of them take off to Fiore Mansion and by that point both Suzanne and Romi are exhausted. They find Titania talking with Julia and learn that Titania already tried to explain the Bracelet situation to Amaria, but she got upset and swam off. Julia just bounces with questions for Romi, about Lin and Madison and Taka and the Gym Battle. Titania also wants clarification about the things Lin said; Romi explains, briefly, that they're as confused as anyone, but Lin's a monster so don't trust her. (Julia and Titania agree with that one.) Titania wants Romi to come help explain the situation to Amaria; Romi agrees, and Julia wants to come too, so they all go. They find her on one of the floaties, so nobody has to go scuba diving. Amaria wants everyone but Titania to leave, but Titania and Julia insist she needs to hear everything. The conversation goes more or less the same as in the Zekrom route, except Amaria never has the chance to guilt Titania into committing to staying with her because Julia won't stop talking/explaining long enough. Eventually Titania leaves with a headache and tells Romi to go get some rest too. Romi just goes and camps outside.

They heal Suzanne up and go to let her free but she just gives them a look and goes to sleep. So Romi sets up camp right there and snuggles up with their other Pokemon. They're really worried and scared but also so tired that they just fall asleep extremely quickly. (Titania looks out off the rooftop later and sees Romi from there, sound asleep in a cuddlepile, and almost laughs.)

The next morning Titania wakes Romi up to question them. Romi says they won't go far, but they aren't ready to battle Amaria yet, and asks how Titania and Amaria are. Titania says she's just ~~effing~~ fantastic, thanks, and lists off all the stuff that's happened the last couple days. Suzanne removes her head from Romi's bag (where Romi hadn't even noticed it was) long enough to screech at her, and Titania says "Don't be cute" but pets her. She takes off.  
Romi tries again to let Suzanne go but Suzanne isn't having it, nosing Romi's hand and screeching at them.

Oops, Romi fed her and now they've made a friend.

After Romi makes a run to the circus for food, they all train up on Route 2. Titania shows up in the afternoon with coffee and sort of sits around and hangs out, watching, asking occasional questions about Team Meteor and the Bracelets. Romi answers as best they can, and they're sort of confused because they can tell she's trying to figure out if they really are working with Lin, but at the same time Titania seems a lot calmer than she has been. She eventually takes off, seemingly satisfied, but tells Romi they'd better battle Amaria tomorrow, because time is tight. She also mentions talking to Hardy earlier and that he had seemed relieved to hear they and Titania were okay, and after she leaves Romi wonders if he knew something was wrong, and if so, if it's possible Madison took Taka _there_ and they're both actually okay. Julia comes out to invite Romi in for dinner and they actually have a nice conversation, Julia talking about how much fun she, Florinia, Amaria and Titania used to have when they were roomies and how she hopes Tania and Amy are okay, because things seem tense. Romi says they hope they're okay too.

Julia says she's pretty sure Tania and Amy wouldn't mind if Romi slept inside, this time, so they take the couch. Halfway through the night Romi wakes up, feeling like they're being watched, and they _know_ it's probably irrational but they're afraid Lin's there, somehow. They sit up, but all they see is Amaria, getting a drink of water. She leaves without a word and Romi thinks "okay, it was just her, there's no danger here" but they still feel unsettled, and it takes quite a while for them to get back to sleep.

The next day is time for the Gym Battle. Titania's gone again but Julia reassures Romi and Amaria that she'll be right outside the Gym part, cheering them both on. (She's got a very large coffee, Romi notices.) Things go almost the way they do in Reshiroute, with the scuba chasing, except Amaria never tries to drown Romi because Julia's right outside and Titania obviously knows Romi's been there. But by the time they get to the actual Gym stage Amaria's very upset. Titania has been distant since Romi showed up, and especially since they got back from Titania's Gym. Amy even saw Tania chatting with Romi yesterday, and then Romi stayed in their house. Why is Romi trying to take Titania away from her?  
Romi quietly tries to explain that Titania was only asking about Team Meteor, and that she makes her own choices, but Amaria gets very upset, saying that it's _all_ Romi's fault. She knows Titania doesn't love her, but she doesn't care, because she stays. Or she _did_ , until Romi showed up and _broke_ everything. (She mentions that it's probably _not_ their fault, not completely, but she can't possibly hate herself any more than she already does so she has to direct her hurt and anger at them.)

At this point Romi's feeling extremely awkward, and feels like they should be helping somehow but aren't sure how. Amaria won't give them an inch. She asks them which battle format they'd prefer and Romi says singles, so it's a double battle. Unfortunately for Amaria, Suzanne got cookies that morning and Faith is in her glory with all the water, so Romi wins fairly easily. Amaria gives the same post-battle speech as in Reshiroute, but Julia doesn't come meet Romi at the door. It's evening and Romi's tired and hungry but they know Amaria's sort of unstable at the moment and mad at them, so they hoof it for Agate Circus.

They grab some dinner and ask around about if anyone's seen someone fitting Taka and Madison's descriptions, but nobody seems to have. Worried but exhausted, they to sleep (Ciel, Samson and the Ringmaster still feel kind of bad about everything that happened with Terra, so there's a general understanding that if Romi, Cain, Hardy or Aya are ever in the neighbourhood, they're to be let through immediately and the backstage room is always open.)

The next morning, Romi wakes up to find Julia looking down at them, Ciel standing beside her. Julia dramatically announces that she's been looking _all over_ for them, why'd they leave? Anyway, Rini called last night from Calcenon and said she could use some help, and she specifically asked if Romi was there. Julia had told her they weren't, but they couldn't be far, so she'd find them and send them Florinia's way. And now she has.

Romi thanks Julia and Ciel and heads directly for Calcenon.

(Titania runs into Julia about 10 minutes later, discussing the Circus' fireworks supplies with the Ringmaster, and Julia passes on the same message about Calcenon to her and explains that Romi just headed that way. Titania thinks she might as well take the chance to be helpful, and takes off for Calcenon City as well.) 


	6. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party returns to Calcenon, a few members lost, a few found.

When Saphira woke up and found out that Florinia had traced Agate's sleeping signal, and that a rescue mission had been launched without her, she was _almost_ tempted to go back down to the control center and punch things again, just to let out her frustrations. Almost. She still had a killer headache, and Charlotte was giving her a look that stated plainly if she tried anything stupid, she would be the one getting punched. Still, the sheer frustration of being one of the only ones left behind crawled under her skin.

For her part, Charlotte seemed quite unconcerned.

"You were out when they left, but I talked to them. Hardy was all gung-ho and Romi was doing that thing where they get all scary-focused and quiet, and then I saw Taka run out that way about a half hour later." She laughed harshly. "Titania said he wouldn't listen to her and Florinia. Those two just left a couple hours ago, said they got a call. Wanted me to go along, but I told them, no way in hell was I leaving my sister behind. Anyway, get all of them together and they're almost as stubborn as me. They'll show up."

But even Charlotte was not quite prepared for what bore down on Calcenon City, an hour or so later.

 

First came Serra Voclain and Romi, appearing directly in front of the Pokemon Centre and making Saphira swear violently as she saw them materialize. She and Charlotte ran outside and followed them into the Centre, where they found them both at the counter, handing their Pokeballs to the worried-looking Nurse Joy.

"Not even gonna say hello?" Saphira deadpanned, and was rewarded by Serra whirling around. Romi finished handing their Pokeballs over before turning themself. They both looked exhausted, Romi especially.

"Charlotte, Saphira," Serra waved. "It's been a long time."

"Hey. Laura's okay," Romi said by way of greeting.

It was, nonetheless, immediately effective. Both sisters looked slightly less tense, and Serra grinned.

"She might be a bit, but the others should be here soon. Radomus sent us on ahead."

"Radomus? The weird guy who lives on Route 1?" Charlotte frowned. "Who all was up there?"

Romi laughed. Serra smirked and raised her hands to the sky. "Someone else sees it!"

"What happened?" Saphira asked seriously.

" _Oh_ , no." Serra shook her head. "I am not taking on the role of storyteller, thank you."

"That bad, huh?" Charlotte snorted.

"I'm sure the kids want to tell it anyway." Serra glanced at Romi, who was leaning against the counter without seeming to notice that Nurse Joy had set their Pokeballs out for them. "And this one needs a nap."

"I'm fine," Romi shook their head, brought back to the present. They collected their Pokeballs.

"Romi, those girls told me you haven't slept in a couple days. You're allowed to slow down now." Serra softened her voice. "I think we also could all use a bite to eat."

"You can stay in the Gym," Charlotte offered. "Probably quieter than the house." Saphira nodded.

"...I want to wait until everyone else gets back," Romi sighed. They opened their bag and pulled out some Berries, offering them to Serra. "All I have, sorry."

"...I'm going to go get some things," Saphira stepped toward the entrance. Romi followed, and Serra trailed behind, munching on her Oran Berry. Charlotte chased after.

"So where's Laura?" Charlotte asked once they got outside, following Romi's lead and sitting on one of the stone ledges just outside the Centre.

"She and Bennett went to catch up with a man from Team Meteor," Serra explained. "She seemed fine, I think that Hypno had her sleeping the whole time."

"Good." Charlotte said. Then paused. "Was she snoring? She always snores and never admits it and I need to know whether I can tease her about it."

Both Romi and Serra laughed. "I don't actually know. It wasn't exactly quiet in there," Serra made a face.

"Dang," Charlotte groaned.

At that moment, a shadow passed overhead, and they all looked up to see a young boy hanging from a Swellow, drifting slowly downwards.

"Hey, Noel," Romi waved once he landed. "Hi, Swellow."

"Hi," he replied, petting the Pokemon gently before returning it to its Pokeball. "Hey, Charlotte."

"Glad you're back," Charlotte told him.

Noel sat with the others. "Dad's coming soon, he's got Metagross going slowly so nobody falls off. I saw them, they're pretty close."

"Wait, wait, wait, 'Dad'? What the hell?" Charlotte raised her eyebrow.

"They're not _all_ on Metagross?" Serra asked at the same time.

Noel shook his head. "Just Hardy and the girls. Dad's walking with them. Taka's doing something with the surveillance footage, Dad left Alakazam there so he could teleport back when he's done." He looked over to Charlotte. "Yeah. Long story."

"Which nobody will tell me!" Charlotte scowled. "Wait. Alakazam, psychic type- Are you telling me your dad is that Radomus dude?"

"Well, that's a surprise," Saphira mused, walking up with some sandwiches in a bag. "How many of these did Hardy _make_ , anyway?"

"He was really bored," Charlotte shrugged. "Taka made some of them. Seriously, Noel?"

"Yeah," Noel scratched his head. "Can I have one of those?" He asked Saphira.

She passed the bag over, and everyone took some sandwiches.

A couple minutes later, Taka appeared, exactly where Serra and Romi had and looking nearly as tired. He shook his head. "Teleport is _not_ my favorite move, just saying."

"At least it got you here," Serra said mildly.

"Yeah," Taka agreed. "Klefki took care of those tapes, by the way. Team Meteor won't know what happened."

"We have something in common, then. Hey. Romi." Charlotte poked them in the shoulder. They jumped awake. Looked around and saw Taka, and their face broke into a warm smile that mirrored his own expression. They moved to go meet him, but he made his way over to the stairs before they could.

"Hey, Ro. Yeah, I definitely get the tired thing." He sat down on the stone steps beside them, Charlotte shifting to make room, and relaxed. Found Romi's hand and held it. "Saphira, your couch still open?"

"Only if someone tells me what happened out there," Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, all right, rest up, but I want answers too," Saphira rolled her eyes.

"Broke into the glass factory," Romi began. "It was a trap. Woke up, some Pokemon led me through the place. Found the PULSE."

"Your Pokemon?" Saphira asked Taka.

"No, it was-"

"Everyone's here!"

They all looked up. A very large silver shape was drifting peacefully toward them over the gate from Route 4. Underneath, through the gate, walked Radomus, Titania and Florinia.

"Wheee! Hi guys!" Anna squealed from atop Metagross' back as it hovered just above roof-level. Shelly was waving from one of its hands, and two older girls Charlotte and Saphira had never seen before called out to Noel, Taka and Romi.  
In the Metagross' other hand, held gently and snoring mightily, was Hardy.

"Okay, nope, never teasing Laura about her snoring again," Charlotte laughed.

"Okay, they're all back. Romi, get some rest. You too," Serra added, turning her stern look on Taka. "You look almost as worn out as them."

"Okay," Taka agreed. "...Ro? Get some sleep, okay? Someone make them sleep."

"Fine," Romi grumbled. "You sleep too." They gave his hand another squeeze- and nodded off again. Taka gave a little "heh".

"Not _there_ ," Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Okay, Saph, I'm running Romi up to the Gym. Don't let them start explaining without me."

"Got it. You, the door's unlocked," Saphira nodded to Taka. "If anything's broken or stolen I kick your ass."

"Got it," Taka mirrored, climbing down off the steps and watching as Charlotte poked Romi again and the two started heading in the opposite direction, toward the north of town.

"Taka, if you don't go get some rest _I'll_ kick your ass," Serra informed him from the steps. Taka caught Noel's grin before he turned and made his way a few doors down, to where the Belrose house was.

"...Okay, what did we miss?" Titania asked, watching them both leave.

"Romi kept falling asleep," Noel told her. "Serra made them both go nap. But they wouldn't go until everyone was back."

"Probably wise," Radomus nodded. He looked up at Metagross, who seemed to be having the time of its life drifting around with its passengers. "Anyone else want a rest?"

"We all slept lots, thanks!" Lumi called back.

"Um! I'd like to get down, if that's okay!" Shelly added. Immediately Metagross set her down next to Titania; she gave its hand a pat in thanks and hurried over to grab a sandwich.

"Romi's asleep what'd I miss!" Charlotte sprinted back to the group, nearly tripping over Saphira.

"You're fine," Saphira told her. "I'm assuming someone can fill us in now? Romi started, but didn't get much out."

"A proper account would be helpful," Florinia agreed.

"And you will have it," Radomus told them both. "However, might I suggest a more enclosed locale? It has been a long journey, and a rest would be welcome."

"What about the Gym? Lots of space. Romi's in my room, it won't bother them," Charlotte suggested.

"I would like to see that," Eve admitted.

 

  
The group made their way over to the Fire Gym. It took a while to get everyone inside, especially as Titania and Serra had to carry the still-sleeping Hardy up the stairs, but there was indeed plenty of room for everyone to sit in the arena, passing around sandwiches and trying to fill in the gaps in each other's stories. When Shelly was told she had nearly been pulled into a black hole, she went very pale, and Anna gave her a reassuring hug.

When everyone had told everything they knew, up to Titania and Florinia spotting Metagross and meeting up with everyone when they reached it, there was a silence broken only when Charlotte swore.

"Language," Serra chided automatically, and then laughed when Charlotte snorted.

"I'm really sorry about your daughter, Ms. Voclain, Mr. Vanhanen," Eve said again. "About everyone."

"Well, as I said, there are still many things we don't understand. I believe I shall hope to see them again," Radomus told her. He glanced over to Serra, who was looking thoughtful.

He'd take that as a good sign.

"By the way, there's room in the house if you want to stay," Saphira told Eve and Lumi. "People have kind of been staying anyway."

"Thank you!" Lumi told her.

"It's much appreciated," Eve agreed. "Also, I mentioned it back at the Workstation, but if there's any information Lumi or I can provide to help with Team Meteor, we would be happy to do so. I know a fair bit about the remaining PULSE machines, at least."

"That information would aid considerably in the resistance efforts. Additionally, the immediate volunteering of aforementioned information without the prerequisite of emotional distress will result in an increase in efficiency of 72%." Florinia informed her. Titania smirked.

"Why would I need to- oh lord, what did he do?" Eve groaned.

"Taka? Wouldn't tell anyone where the PULSE was," Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Rini had to trace the signal herself. Drove Hardy nuts. Well, all of us, actually," she remembered.

"A stupid attempt to keep everyone out of harm's way, but it's done now. Speaking of my brother..." Titania prodded at him. "Hey. Get up. You're safe."

Hardy kept snoring.

"I'd say he sleeps like a rock, if that weren't such a horrible pun. Wake up!" And she slapped him on the cheek.  
Serra, Lumi, Noel and Shelly moved to stop her, but stopped when Hardy actually stirred.

"Come on, ten more minutes, I still need to defeat the monster Glaceon.." he murmured, causing Lumi to giggle.  
  
Titania slapped him again. "Nope, time to get up, you've had more sleep than anyone else here, no more crashing on Charlotte's floor."

"On Charlotte's- huh?" Hardy woke up properly and blinked at the scene around him. "...okay, what happened?"

 

One brief explanation later, and the group drifted apart somewhat. Radomus had gone to heal his Pokemon and had been pursued by Noel, who seemed glad to leave the crowd, and Anna, who began asking Radomus about his various hats. Eve and Lumi had gone for food. Shelly had wanted to go for a walk, and when reminded that that was how everyone got taken in the first place, timidly accepted Serra's offer to go with her. Charlotte, who needed no such invitation, put on her rollerblades and skated after them. Saphira headed down to the house, declaring her intent to make sure nothing was destroyed while Taka was there on his own. Florinia flew off, bound for Reborn City. And Hardy and Titania gathered around the telecom in the Gym and paged the Grand Hall, to let Victoria and Adrienn know that Agate would be waking up, and that Florinia was on her way to fill them both in on what had been happening since she arrived in Calcenon.

 

And eventually, one by one, everyone settled in for the night. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was more or less an excuse for me to do three things: one, let the kids have a fun ride back to Calcenon. Two, let Charlotte snark. And three, make fun of Sleepy Romi. Because they're so serious most of the time I don't have enough chances to make fun of them, dangit!
> 
> This was originally supposed to be a much longer chapter, covering up to the departure for Agate, but I got a little blocked on it and decided this was a good finishing point! Some of what I wanted to include is already done, so it may show up as its own mini-chapter next, but then we're onto Agate City!


	7. Rebuilding Bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun rises on Calcenon City once more, and with it, some very tired people. Looks like a peaceful day... but this is Reborn, so we all know there's no such thing.

Taka awoke in a dim, watery darkness. His heart began racing as thoughts and fears swirled in his mind; black holes and high towers, Lin's blank face and Romi's. Slowly he began to remember what had happened after, and at last he felt the familiar soft sofa beneath him, but it took him a good few minutes to calm down, to convince himself that here, now, this was safe.

How the _hell_ had everything gotten so messed up?

As his eyes adjusted Taka could see that it must be close to dawn, and he slipped outside as quietly as he could. The world was little more than dim sky and silhouettes, the occasional glint of fading stars reflected on the windows. It was eerie, almost, but more than that it was _beautiful_. Silence in its beauty. He walked east, aware of the barrier even if the early morning made it hard to see, and allowed the strange morning light to calm him.

And then he noticed, looking up at the Pokecentre, another person, one whose familiar haircut was just discernable in the dawn.

"Up early," Taka remarked.

"Taka," Eve turned. "Yes, I think I've got a bit too much sleep built up. Lumi's... Lumi, so it doesn't seem to have affected her too much."

"Yeah, that's not surprising," Taka grinned. "Doing okay?"

"I am. We both are. It's so nice to have the freedom of my own thoughts again."

"...Yeah, I get that," Taka agreed. The sky was lightening, and Taka spotted a Zubat flying overhead toward the mountains.

Eve patted his arm. "Good to see you. I believe I'll head back now, in case someone wakes up. Good morning."

Taka waved goodbye and made his own way back. When he entered the apartment he found Hardy and Saphira, drinking coffee.

Hardy noticed him first. "Hey, Taka. Wondered where you got off to!"

"Sorry, I just... wanted some air."

"Did you sleep well enough?" Saphira asked mildly.

"Yeah, thanks." He yawned. "You guys?"

"...For the most part," Saphira said, just as Hardy answered.

"The best!" he replied. "Hey, Saphira, don't worry, okay? If Laura's not back soon, I can fly over and look for her. Now that I won't fall asleep, it'll be a piece of cake!"

"She'd better be." Saphira stood up, leaving her coffee on the end table, and left the room.

When she'd gone, Hardy motioned for Taka to sit, and he did. "Hey, man, thanks for coming to back us up. We definitely weren't prepared. Not really much way to prepare for that, though, is there?"

"Nah," Taka agreed.

"I just wish I hadn't been out for the whole thing. I remember _hearing_ those Heal Bells, too, I was just too tired to do anything about it. Hey, do you know if Romi's okay? I didn't get a chance to thank them before they fell asleep, either."

The image of Romi's teary face after Shade set them on the floor flashed in his mind. "Eh... I hope so," Taka shrugged. Hardy raised an eyebrow.

"Mate, if you're worried about them, it's okay. Here, we'll get some breakfast and then go see if they're up. You've gotta be starving."

"...Yeah, actually," Taka realized. "Okay yeah I better eat."

It was another hour before breakfast was properly ready and everyone awake enough to eat it, and the sun was bright and golden through the windows. Charlotte was the last to arrive, groaning as she sat down about how the Gym was more comfortable and let her sleep later, but the only one to comment was Shelly, and her compliment about Charlotte being so nice to give up her room was so sweet and earnest that Charlotte couldn't bring herself to complain any further. She turned her focus, instead, to the berry salad she was eating. The table was quiet, whether because of the hour or because of what had been happening, so there was no real conversation to latch onto. When everyone had finished eating, Charlotte yawned again.

"Well, I'm gonna go check on the Gym. You," she jerked her head at Hardy, who was looking up at her, and Taka, who was trying not to show that he was. "You better come too, or else Romi's gonna kill me, and you're gonna drive my sister so nuts that she'll kill _you_."  
Saphira nodded without looking up from her coffee.

"Okay, but you get the dishes first," Titania ordered. And despite the mightily rolling eyes from Hardy and Charlotte and silence from Taka, they did as they were told.

 

The Gym was empty that early in the morning, silent but for the hum of machines. Charlotte went straight up, taking the stairs two at a time so that Taka and Hardy had to hurry to keep up.

"If Romi's still sleeping, do you think I could get away with waking them up Titania-style?" Charlotte asked, grinning back at Hardy. He gave her a _look_.

"I mean, they'd probably punch you before they woke up," Taka shrugged. "But go ahead."

"No way, I'm too fast," Charlotte grinned. "Here." She gestured to a small door, behind and to the left of the arena, and knocked on it. "Romi? You up?"

"They might need the-" Taka began.

"Coming," Romi replied from behind the door. After a few moments they opened it, and Taka noted they looked much better than the day before, more refreshed.  
"Hi," they said, smiling vaguely at all of them. "Thank you."

"Sleep okay?" Charlotte asked. Romi grinned.

"Like a baby."

"Good. Okay, I just wanted to check in, and these two nerds wanted to come. So yeah. Glad you're back," Charlotte said, softening a little.

"It was _this_ nerd's idea," Hardy protested, pointing at Charlotte. Romi laughed.

"Whatever. Just like, don't destroy anything. I have to go get more cigarettes." And she walked off, leaving three confused people staring after her.

"What, does she think we're going to have a battle in here?" Hardy asked. "Although-"

" _No_ ," Taka and Romi said together.

"Kidding! Anyway, Romi, I wanted to check in. I haven't really seen you since the elevator and that piece of work," he frowned. "How are you doing?"

Romi took a moment to decide. "Okay. Are you all right?"

"Fine," Hardy nodded. "Best nap ever."

Romi grinned. "I tried to wake you."

" _Nobody_ could wake him up," Taka shrugged. "I don't think that was the PULSE."

"Yeah, yeah, it was a long hike. Neither of you can talk, you've been out since three yesterday." Hardy laughed. "But seriously, thanks. We'd have been sunk without you, Romi."

"Seriously." Taka shook his head, but he was smiling faintly too. "Can't believe you pulled that off. Actually... I kinda can."

"I didn't do it alone," Romi protested quietly. "...Sorry. I remember battling Exeggutor now. Thanks for trying."

"Wasn't gonna leave you down there," he shrugged. A silence spread, not awkward but uncomfortable nonetheless, which Hardy broke when he remembered something.

"Hey, Romi, they told me Shade was there, got you out of that hole. Did he say anything?"

"No," Romi shook their head. "I didn't.. see him, until the last second. How are the others?"

"Eve and Lumi are fine, I saw Eve this morning," Taka said airily, swallowing his anxiety at Romi's dodging of the subject. "Charlotte's cranky."

"Ah, she's fine. Shelly's a bit rattled, but you can't blame her." Hardy shook his head. "Haven't talked to the others yet."

"Better check on them." Romi started for the entrance of the Gym, but paused when their stomach gave a loud grumble. "...Oh, right."

Hardy and Taka both laughed, and even Romi grinned.

"You go get a bite, I'll check in with Radomus," Hardy suggested, picking up speed. "Taka, you can... do whatever."

"Maybe I'll take a nap..."

"Hey, not fair!" Hardy called back, by now at the entrance to the Gym.

"Probably some salad left at the apartment," Taka suggested, once Hardy had left.

"Good idea," Romi nodded.

"And then like... we can talk, if you want. About yesterday, or whatever."

Romi opened their mouth to answer, then stopped again. For a split second Taka saw something like pain on their face, but it was gone a moment later, and they nodded.

"Yeah."

The undercurrent of Taka's anxiety remained, but the weight of it lifted slightly.

  
Romi opened the door to Shelly, scrunched up on the sofa with a book, and Florinia, browsing some papers. "Greetings," she said when she noticed them standing there.

Shelly looked up. "Oh, um, hi."

"Morning," Romi waved to both of them. "Was there maybe some food left over? I'm a bit-" Their stomach gurgled again, finishing their sentence. They chuckled, and Taka laughed again as he sat down.

"Oh, I'll get it!" Shelly jumped up.

"Unnecessary," Florinia shook her head. "Saphira is located in the kitchen and I have a question regarding the ownership of this building to ask her. It would therefore be a more efficient use of time if I were to go."

"I can get it mys-" Romi began, but Florinia had already left the room. They turned their attention to Shelly. "Shelly, are you all right?"

"Um," she squirmed. "I'm okay. I'm really sorry about causing you trouble though. And I really wish Cain hadn't..."

"I know. I'm sorry," Romi told her. "Don't _you_ be sorry. That thing was awful."

"It was," Shelly shivered. "I don't really remember it, but I woke up and it was so _cold_. At least everyone was there." She nestled up with her book again.

"I don't think anyone had fun," Taka agreed.

"Of course not." Saphira strode in with a bowl of berry salad and held it out to Romi. "Morning, Romi. Florinia went upstairs after some book. Still no word from Laura. You, did you know the man she left with?" She turned to Taka.

"Uh. I've got no clue," he sad honestly. "I think Radomus said something..."

"That 'Bennett'?" Saphira asked, narrowing her eyes. "I can't believe she's not back by now."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, he's kinda weird. I never talked to him that much. But I think he's trying to get better? His mom was yelling at him there." Taka was unable to keep the small laugh out of his voice.

Romi smiled faintly as they ate. "Thanks, Saphira."

"It's fine, Titania made lots. What about you? Do you know why she left with him?"

"To... stop Zero from reporting, I think. Her Pokemon could outspeed his, Radomus said."

"I couldn't actually hear that, I have no idea how _he_ did," Taka mused. "Something to do with his hat, maybe?"

"But why isn't she back?" Saphira asked. "Labradorra isn't that far off from there."

"Hardy said he'd go look, didn't he?" Taka reminded her.

"Hardy isn't _here_ ," Saphira scowled. "I'm going to ask about what they said before they left." And she left.

"Hope Hardy's okay," Taka quipped.

"Why? Did he go somewhere?" Shelly asked, looking worried.

"Just over to talk to Radomus and everyone."

"He'll be there when Saphira shows up," Romi smiled.

"Oh. Good." Shelly relaxed. "Do _you_ think Laura's okay?"

"I don't think Bennett would hurt her," Romi said. "And Zero... didn't seem to care about her much. She's probably fine."

"I hope so," Shelly said quietly.

Romi finished their breakfast, and when neither Saphira, Florinia nor Hardy had returned, they got up.

"I think I'm going to check on my team," Romi told them. "Taka, you can actually sleep, you know."

"Sounds good," Taka said honestly, "but I was just messing with Hardy. I should check mine over too, though, maybe check on the girls. Gotta be weird for them."

"Yeah," Romi agreed. "I wanted to thank them. If you go, let them know? I'll catch up with them after I've taken care of my team. Shelly, you want to come?"

"I'll let 'em know," Taka assured them.

"Oh? No thank you, I'm in the middle of a good part," Shelly smiled sheepishly. Romi grinned.

"It's okay. I'll see you both after, then." Tentatively they stepped toward the door, then glanced back. Shelly was looking back at her book, but Taka was watching them. Romi doubled back, planted a quick kiss on his cheek, then headed quickly out.

Shelly did not see this exchange, but she could guess what had happened when she saw Taka turn to hide his grinning face. She shifted on the couch to hide her laugh in the sounds of its squeaking.

"Kay, I'm going to check in. See you," he told Shelly as he left.

 

Taka half-walked, half-ran to the Pokemon Centre, hoping to catch Saphira grilling Hardy or Radomus. Instead he found Eve and Lumi, sitting and chatting with Serra, Anna and Noel.

"Oh, morning," Serra waved. "Did you rest?"

"Taka! Hi!" Anna waved wildly. Noel grinned without looking at her, and gave a tiny wave of his own.

"Slept fine," Taka told Serra. "Hi, guys."

"Morning, Taka!" Lumi chirped. "It's so nice here!"

"It was," Eve agreed. "They've been gracious here. You look better."

"Yeah, I ate," Taka nodded. "Romi wanted to say thanks, by the way. For helping back there. I think they want to tell you later."

"You guys did so great," Anna agreed.

"Aww, that's sweet!" Lumi smiled. "Hey, do you guys want to go for a walk? I want to catch up on everything." She turned to the kids. "Sorry, is that okay?"

"Go ahead," Noel shrugged. "Hey, Anna, want to go see Shelly?"

"Sure!" Anna hopped up. Serra watched them leave with amusement in her eyes.

"Have a good walk," she told the sisters and Taka.

  
"So what's the story?" Lumi asked shortly afterwards, when she, Eve, and Taka had headed out and were strolling along the cobblestones. "How long have you been here, anyway?"

"Here-here, or?" Taka looked around.

"Nobody really knew what happened after poor Stopple was defeated," Lumi explained. "We didn't, anyway. Just that you kind of disappeared, on some mission, Sirius said. And then you never came back."

"Well, I choked," he informed her. "Failed there again, as usual. But like... there was a girl there half-dead and I was supposed to _ignore_ that. And I used to be a lot better at ignoring things, haha. So. I couldn't do it. I let them go, all of them. Let's just say Meteor wasn't happy with me after that."

"That was brave," Eve observed. Taka laughed.

"Yeah, no. I tried to cover it up. Tried to get Romi to beat me in a battle so it'd at least look like I tried. But they wouldn't." He shook his head. "Man, at the time I thought, 'what a _jerk_ '. After all I did to help them out in there, and they just said 'I can't' and walked away. Made me mad enough to make excuses. To go back."

Lumi patted his arm.

"But the thing is, they're _not_ a jerk, and even I wasn't dumb enough to keep blaming 'em for it. The whole time we were there, Titania kept telling me I should just leave, that if I didn't agree with what Meteor was doing I should just stop. Like hurting my father didn't matter as much as Meteor hurting... well, everyone. And I guess it got to me a bit." He shrugged. "Guys, I didn't take off because I was brave or anything. I just had no choice. For some reason I couldn't fake it anymore."

"You shouldn't have had to," Eve said fervently. "No one should have to." Lumi hugged her sister, but she too looked subdued.

"Hey, it's okay," Taka reassured.

"No it's not," Eve closed her eyes. "I had to see what was happening to those Pokemon, I had to _cause_ it, and the whole time I could feel Lumi's sadness. And Zero, he was proud of it, _we_ were proud of it. We had no choice. For years."

"Like I said, would not recommend," Lumi shuddered.

"Not your fault, guys. You two shouldn't have been dragged into that mess to begin with."

"Nobody should," Eve agreed.

"Um, what happened after?" Lumi asked.

"Oh. Uh, I just, remembered hearing that they thought Romi might be heading for Tourmaline Desert, to get to the next Gym. Think they hoped Romi'd- well, get lost out there, not bother Meteor again. So I thought, hey, if it's that easy to get lost, it's perfect for me, right? Haha. And so I took off that way, and... kept getting more and more scared, mostly about Lin," he admitted. "Thinking about how I could go back, what I'd tell them. And then I started thinking, hey, what if Romi does show up? What if I stop them here? Then..."

"Then they did?" Eve prompted.

"Yeah." Taka laughed. "I told myself I needed to beat them, but honestly? When I saw them get off that train all I felt was awful. Especially when I saw their face."

"Do I need to tell Romi you said that?" Lumi asked, grinning impishly. Eve laughed, and Taka rubbed his face with a grin.

"It was their expression. It was like... they were surprised, but _sorry_. Anyway, they trounced me, as usual, and then I sort of had a breakdown, and asked Romi if I could go with them to get away from Meteor, and for some reason they let me. And that's basically what happened, Romi and I wandered around the desert. Lin found me when Ro was at Titania's and she was trying to do something, but I got away on a Pokemon Romi lent me and for some reason she left them alone. Mostly. I think she tried to convince Titania that Romi was working with Team Meteor."

"Really?" Eve raised an eyebrow. "That's... weak, for her."

"Sort of why I've been nervous since then," Taka admitted. Eve shook her head.

"Look, Team Meteor has lost control of Calcenon City, and there are currently several of the League's most powerful Trainers here. Lin works through division and trickery. And I do not believe those tactics will work quite as well here a second time, after the failure at the Workstation."

"She's right. I actually already feel safer here," Lumi told them both. "Everyone seems really nice, or mostly, and like I said it's nice to have my mind back. And Eve, and you!"

"Yeah, it's good to see you guys," Taka agreed. "And it's been... pretty great, honestly. I like this. Hardy's hilarious, and Florinia's...weird, but she's all right, and Romi's awesome. Saphira's not even that scary after a while."

Eve chuckled.

"Titania _is_ that scary, I'm not gonna lie," he said seriously. "But... I'm glad I left. I just... wish it could have been different sometimes."

"Solaris." It wasn't a question, but Taka gave an affirmative shrug anyway.

"He won't give up protecting the meteor. Even if Lin drives the team into the ground. It actually matters to him." Taka glanced toward Labradorra. "Still, maybe he'd listen better if he didn't have the whole _movement_ behind him, y'know?"

"It might be worth a try," Lumi offered. "Like Radomus said, we never know what can happen."

"Yeah..." Taka agreed thoughtfully. "Hey, Eve, you told Romi about the PULSEs yet?"

"I haven't had the opportunity," she told him. "Why?"

"They'll want to know," Taka said. "And I need to talk to them too, anyway. I said something earlier, and I think I just figured out what I meant."

"What do you mean?" Lumi asked, looking very concerned. "We can go find Romi now if you want, but... you okay?"

"Yeah," Taka reassured her. "I'm good. I just need to tell them something. And yeah, Eve, you should tell 'em about those PULSEs. It'll help."

"I had planned on it anyway," Eve shrugged.

 

They found Romi ten minutes later, loading up on supplies at the Pokemart. When they heard the bell at the door, they turned, and their face lit up.

"Hi, Romi!" Lumi waved, hurrying up to their new friend.

"Hey, guys," they greeted, waving back to all three of them. "Just finished up."

"Excellent timing," Eve told them. "I have some information about the remaining PULSE machines that I believe would interest you, and Taka wanted to speak with you as well."

"Oh, thank you," Romi nodded. "And of course. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. It's good," he told them.

"I do not mind waiting until you have had your conversation. This seems to be more urgent, and I can use the extra time to work out how best to explain," Eve suggested.

"All right," Romi agreed. "I'd like to hear, though."

"I'll tell you whatever I remember too," Taka said. "Although, uh, I mostly just left that to ZEL. So yeah."

"It was never really his thing," Lumi grinned. "Or mine, really, but. Um, I'm going to go see if Glaceon wants to go for a walk, okay? She hasn't been out since we got here."

"Nor has Espeon," Eve remembered. "Want to take her, too? I'm going to go get my notes and wait by the Pokemon Centre. I trust you'll join me when you've finished?"

"Sure!" Lumi happily accepted the Pokeball from her sister. "I'll bring them around too, it'll be nice for them to see each other." And she was gone, the bell on the door chiming as it closed.

"I will see you both shortly then," Eve waved as she too left.

 

"So, is everything okay? Really?" Romi asked Taka.

"Yeah. I just... remember what I said before? That I was done running? I mean it. I want to help. I want to help fight Team Meteor." Taka blurted. His voice shook, but there was a determination to his features that Romi hadn't seen before.

They were quiet for a few moments. "Taka- why now? Lin might think you're long gone by now. You're safe. You said you wanted to wait."

"Yeah, I did. And it's probably smarter, honestly. But... maybe I'm safe, yeah, but nobody _else_ is, because of Meteor. And everyone else is already taking risks anyway. I want to fight, like you, and Hardy, and Lumi and Eve and everyone. I want to actually help people."

"...You really are great, you know?" Romi said, shock melting into a smile.

"Yeah, right," Taka retorted, but he was smiling faintly. "...I want to try to get through to my father, if I can. Maybe now... Would you help, if I did?"

"Sure," Romi said immediately. "If I could. I don't think he's too impressed with me." They frowned. Taka laughed.

"Yeah, well, that makes two of us. But... maybe he'll listen, then." He put his arm around their shoulders and looked nervously at Romi. "...We can try, at least."

"That's all anyone is doing," they told him. "If you think it won't make things worse, I'll help."

"Eh, it's pretty bad anyway," Taka shrugged. "I don't think you could make it worse. And I have to _try_ , Ro."

"I know," Romi smiled. "...D'you want to get dinner later?"

"...Yeah, that sounds good."

 

They opened the door of the Pokemart and found Lumi watching Espeon and Glaceon as they ran, laughing loudly. They seemed to be racing, but the two little Pokemon weren't playing fair. Espeon kept picking up Glaceon and setting it back, or turning it backwards. Glaceon meanwhile had created several patches of ice where Espeon ran, and sometimes the Sun Pokemon would slip and go skidding off course. Taka and Romi joined Lumi in watching them, laughing along until Espeon noticed their presence and telekinetically stole Taka's scarf, running off with it.

"For the love of- not _again_ ," he groaned, making Lumi and Romi laugh even harder as they joined in the chase.

Espeon led them to the Pokemon Centre, where Eve was indeed already waiting. Amusement danced in her eyes as she scratched Espeon behind the ears. "I didn't ask her to do that."

"Gimme that," Taka said, grabbing the scarf from Espeon and ruffling her fur. She purred happily.

"Have you finished your conversation, or was it interrupted?" Eve asked.

"Nah, we're done. I'll fill you in after the PULSE thing," Taka told her.

"Right. Glaceon, let Romi pay attention!" Lumi chastised her Pokemon, who was presently standing with her paws on Romi's knee and licking their hand while Romi scratched behind her ears. Romi gave Glaceon a last pat and looked sheepishly at Eve, who was smiling faintly.

"All right. So there are four remaining PULSE systems: PULSE-Mime, PULSE-Clawitzer, PULSE2 and Arc-PULSE. Do you have any preference on which I should start with?" Eve began.

"No, but... shouldn't everyone else here be hearing this too?"

"I already explained most of the information yesterday, while you were sleeping," Eve told them. "But you should know too."

"Oh," Romi looked embarrassed. "Okay."

"I may as well start with the closest. PULSE-Mime is primairily designed to amplify the natural barrier-creating capabilities of a Mr. Mime to be effective over a much greater area. It allows all of Labradorra City to be kept inside a protective barrier, through which only authorized people can pass. Originally it was intended to encase Calcenon as well, but I was able to introduce some 'limitations' to prevent that from being possible." Eve grinned. "It was meant to work in tandem with the PULSE-Clawitzer to create an unstoppable weaponized fortress. That PULSE, however, ran off Calcenon's power grid. So long as we retain this city, Team Meteor will be unable to use it, however... the Pokemon is still conscious. Most likely suffering. Should you encounter it again, I'm afraid there is little you can do for it." Eve's voice quieted.

"Understood," Romi murmured.

"I'm sorry," Eve told them.

"It's not your fault!" Lumi insisted. "We had to-"

"Lumi's right," Romi said. "Please go on?"

"All right. Unfortunately we have no way of passing through the barrier. Lumi and I were sharing Zero's body, so we are not authorized ourselves. Someone on the inside would have to let us through. Now, for the PULSE2, that differs greatly from the others in that it is both significantly weaker, and causes significantly less stress to a Pokemon's body. The effects are twofold: amplify a Pokemon's capabilities to a small degree, and suppress their free will. This amplification enables a Pokemon to grow beyond the traditional limits of its learning; in layman's terms, it allows them to achieve maximum 'effort values' in every stat. You've probably encountered these before, in the hands of high-level Meteor executives."

"Garchomp," Taka supplied.

"Sirius, too?" Romi asked.

"Definitely," Lumi said.

"Mm. And the last one?"

"The Arc-PULSE is essentially a hybridization of the traditional PULSE devices and the PULSE2. Like the PULSE2, it is smaller and allows for the Pokemon to retain its mobility while greatly suppressing its will. And like the original PULSE machines, it is meant to provide more power and is designed for use with a specific Pokemon."

"Wait..." Romi looked at Eve with disbelief.

"Unfortunately, yes. As the name implies, this Pokemon is Arceus. However, the Arc-PULSE was never completed. It would require both an immense source of power and an Arceus to test it on, neither of which Team Meteor currently possess. The sleep spell over Agate City was intended to buy Team Meteor time to search the area for an energy source Lin believed to be located nearby, but it seems they never found it. It therefore seems unlikely to be completed."

"That's a bit of a relief," Romi smiled faintly. "...Let's hope."

"There's lots of reason to hope," Lumi agreed.

"I'll be right back, okay? I need to get Suzanne out and check on her." Romi nodded at the door of the Centre.

"Sure thing," Taka agreed.

"I'll bring her to meet you all," Romi told them as they went inside.

 

They headed for the PC and inserted their Trainer Card, and the beeping alerted Serra, who was reading a magazine.

"Oh, hi, Romi. Rest okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry about yesterday," they said.

"Romi." She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you dare."

"Fine," they grinned, exchanging Madison for Suzanne and logging out of the PC. "How are you?"

"Not bad. It's nice having people around." She glanced at the door. "Radomus has been playing with his hats with the kids all day. He only took off to buy stuff a while ago, and the twins went to see Shelly, but before that... it was sweet. Those other girls were here for a while too."

"Eve and Lumi? They're outside the door," they told her. "Talking about the PULSEs."

"Yeah, Eve tried to explain yesterday. All a bit over my head, but if it can help stop the Meteors, more power to them."

"I'm glad the kids are happier," Romi said frankly.

"Yeah..." Serra shrugged. "I know what it's like to miss family, though."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, Bennett seems to be turning over a new leaf, so. Speaking of which, I'd like to apologize on his behalf. I'm sure he would have, but..."

"It's fine." Romi closed their eyes. "I'm gonna take Suzanne outside. You can meet her, if you want."

"Why not?" Serra shrugged, and followed them out.

The street in front of the Pokemon Centre was empty. Romi paused in confusion.

"Guess they left," Serra supplied. "Who's Suzanne?"

"Her." Romi clicked the Pokeball, and Suzanne's gleaming form emerged. She was just sticking her face into Romi's pocket, when Hardy barrelled up the street, startling her. She flared her wings out and screeched.

Hardy came to a skidding halt. "Sorry 'bout that. But we just got word. Agate's all awake now! And Team Meteor's already moved in and causing trouble. Word is that Lin's there. No clue what she's after, but we're all going to put a stop to it. You two in?"

Romi nodded as they stroked Suzanne's head to calm her.

"I might pop by after," Serra said, "but in the meantime I think I'll help hold down the fort. I'm bushed. Romi probably shouldn't go either, but I know there's no use in suggesting that."

"No," Romi agreed. "Have you seen Taka? Want to let him know I'm going."

"He's gone already, mate," Hardy grinned. "Found him talking to Radomus, and when I filled them in, he asked if Alakazam'd mind teleporting him again."

Serra snorted. "So that's the two who didn't sleep for a couple days going, then. I'll definitely need to keep things solid here in that case."

"Aite," Hardy shrugged.

Romi took a deep breath and squatted down so they were on eye level with Suzanne. "Can we go to Agate City? I can get you some treats from the circus later-"

At the word 'treats' Suzanne crouched down and looked appealingly at Romi, who laughed.

"Okay. Meet you there," they told Hardy, climbing onto the Pokemon.

"All _right_!" Hardy pumped his fist. "See you when you get there! Archeops!" A click, a flash of feathers, and Hardy was gone, speeding off into the sky.

"Mor!" Suzanne took a few steps backward, then began running. Serra laughed as a small, but clear, squeak of alarm escaped Romi, and Suzanne too flapped her wings and took flight. And rather quickly- though nowhere near as fast as Hardy- they were out of sight.

Serra stared after them, shook her head, and went to find Radomus.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has been a ride!
> 
> Moreso to write than to read. First, half this chapter got cut, and then I decided "nope actually I like it" and kept it. Then, I got blocked on the ending of the chapter, and while I worked on the outline to try and work through it I got intimidated by, and then ran into a Huge Issue with, my plans for next chapter. This stopped me for a solid week, until a friend accidentally gave me a solution to that. (Bless Ruby, honestly, I owe her bigtime for that one.)   
> Still, I had fun with this chapter! I hope you do too.
> 
> SIDE NOTE: This fic got even more AU than usual this chapter, because while I was writing it I learned that Lumi and Eve were originally envisioned to be 19 and 24, respectively, as opposed to 12 and 14-ish like they are in the game. So! they're 19 and 24 here, now! Because Ice is a cool guy and I want to respect as much of his vision as I can, even as I do all this!


	8. The Siege of Agate City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romi arrives in Agate City, not quite knowing what to expect. A Lot, as it turns out.

The first thing Romi noticed was how _still_ everything was.

From what Hardy had said, Romi was expecting riots, or a mass of people retreating from Agate City. When they landed with Suzanne on the soft grass just outside the gatehouse on Route 1, they saw... nothing of the sort. A mother, her child, a young woman looking out from a rock ledge near the gate. A single guard stood watch at the bottom of the stairs, looking appraisingly at the pair as they approached.  
The lack of open chaos chilled Romi to the core. They had long ago learned that the more boisterous Team Meteor was in their attempts to do something, the less prepared they really were. The quiet indicated control and confidence, and Romi didn't like that one bit.  
They let Suzanne stay out of her ball, beside them, as they approached the guard.

Evidently deciding they weren't a Meteor themself, he caught their eye and explained.  
"Team Meteor's taken control of Agate City. Several Gym Leaders have gone in, in an attempt to defend it, but they're severely outnumbered. We're advising people to take caution if they intend on entering the city, and to avoid it if possible. "

In response, Romi withdrew their Trainer Card and showed it to the guard. They didn't have the time or energy to coax him right now. When he saw their name and the sixteen badges, his eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh, it's you! Florinia said you'd probably be through. Go on ahead, but do take caution. It's pretty hairy in there."

"Thank you," they nodded. Bit their lip as they overheard the child behind them, no more than seven or eight, protesting to the guard that they could fight Team Meteor too.

 

The gatehouse was empty, save for a single Meteor grunt who was certainly not watching for them. Romi checked their pulse and found it strong; unconscious, but not in danger. They carried on, feeling a small buzz of comfort that Titania was sticking to her plan not to respond to everything with lethal force.

Inside, Agate City was not quite as eerily quiet, but Romi still found it discomforting. More unconscious Meteors sat or lay on the ground, almost forming a trail to where Titania stood on a bridge, battling fiercely  with Aegislash against an Empoleon. The Emperor Pokemon's Trainer stood behind it, commanding skillfully and taunting Titania. A woman watched the battle from across the river , fear written across her features. Romi felt their anger warm and harden inside them, and they carried on.

Another grunt, out cold, sat a few feet from Florinia. She, too, was battling- a double battle against two Meteor grunts, one of whom Romi recognized vaguely as one they had defeated at the Glass Workstation. Florinia caught sight of Romi as they approached, and nodded.

"Ordinarily, a 2-vs-1 scenario would prove disadvantageous; however, the current situation is proving anomalous. Likelihood of success: 94%. Additional assistance would best be provided elsewhere."

"Shut UP!" one of the grunts spat. "Heracross, faster!"

A ghost of a smile flitted across Romi's face as Florinia, completely unconcerned, continued to direct her Pokemon. Romi continued on, taking in the city and scanning for the others. On the edges of their mind they planned, tried to anticipate what Lin might do and how they might respond. It stoked their anger and determination, and helped distract, a bit, from their fear.

They got a bit _too_ caught up in thought. A man leaped out from the cover of a building, in full Ace uniform, and commanded, "Halt! I won't let you go any further!"  
Internally, Romi was startled. Externally, they tightened their stance but otherwise simply directed Suzanne to meet the Slurpuff he sent out in battle. She swatted Slurpuff away with a brush of her wings, and the Scolipede he sent out after that, but when the Ace sent out his Aggron Romi called Suzanne back to her ball and sent out Faith to finish the battle. Her watery songs soon had Aggron, and Minior after, tired and soaked.

The man recalled his exhausted Minior and stepped backward. "...Yet. I meant I wouldn't let you go any further _yet_. All I have to do is stall..."

Romi ignored him, and the twinge of uneasiness his words gave them.

At the end of the street Romi saw a Pokemart; they briefly considered entering it, but there were a pair of robed people up the hill, and if the Mart was unguarded it was likely unimportant. Romi couldn't imagine any of their friends hiding there, either. So they climbed the hill, instead.  
As expected, the robed figures confronted Romi, and as usual, they seemed unable to resist boasting about their goals- goals which, Romi was sure, the higher-ups at Meteor would prefer their enemies not know.

"The treasure in this city belongs to the Lord alone!" crowed one, as soon as they saw Romi. It seemed to excite the other, who added, "The Relic Stone will be ours without fail!"

Romi filed that information away for after, even as alarm bells began going off in their head.  
The cultists were, thankfully, as incompetent at battling as at keeping quiet. The tag team of Faith and Suzanne overcame their Pokemon easily.

"C'mon, it's not like this city is using it anymore," grumbled one of the cultists. Romi wasn't sure which, and they didn't care. Relic Stone... that sounded familiar, but they couldn't quite remember without devoting attention to it that they didn't want to spare. Still, it was clearly nothing good. They quickened their steps and looked around, even more sharply alert.

Around one more corner, the heart of the conflict. The first thing Romi processed was the people. Sirius, Lin, Solaris, John, three Meteor members whose names Romi didn't know. Samson and Ciel, guarded by two of the orderlies. Hardy. No sign of anyone else. The fear reached Romi twofold, both from _not knowing_ and from Lin's simple presence. And their anger rose, as well, at the atrocities each of these Meteors had committed. The heat of anger and chill of fear mixed in their stomach, and soon Romi found themself not aware of feeling very much at all, but simply focused.  
By the time they arrived at Hardy's side they were silent, and their expression was unreadable. Hardy could almost feel the chill radiating off them.

It concerned him, a bit, but mostly it was a relief. Backup was here!

"Oi! Meteorheads! I hope you had a jam 'round here while you could, because your gig is up!" Hardy crowed.

Lin ignored him. "You may play with these," she told Sirius and Solaris, and began to walk away.  
Romi fixed their gaze on her, not missing a movement. Hardy, beside them, protested at her leaving.

"Flies need no answers, no matter how much they buzz. The only reply is a swat, and the silence that follows. So _many_ flies, of late. Solaris, see to our silence."

Romi watched her walk away, and calculated the likelihood of catching up to her with the seven other members of Team Meteor present. Noted the look Solaris was fixing Lin with as she walked away, and the tone of his voice.

"Do not assume that your skill gives you the right to give me orders," he said quietly, once she had gone. "I am the rightful leader of Team Meteor; I call the shots. Orderlies," he commanded.

Sirius' raised eyebrow did not escape Romi's notice, but they ignored it, and him.

Hardy pulled out a Pokeball as the pair of orderlies stepped forward. "Ey, Romi, you've got my back, right? Let's do this!"

"Let's." Faith was the first to appear, her happy whistle catching the attention of Hardy's Lycanroc. His tail wagged, even as Romi and Hardy together gave their instructions.  
The orderlies were competent, Romi gave them that. As, unsurprisingly, was Hardy. Romi was no fan of double battles, but they were learning- Lycanroc only got drenched by one of Faith's attacks before Romi switched her out. And Hardy was relentless, battling with all of Romi's focus but seemingly none of their tension. He was fierce, and he was enjoying it. In some vague place outside their tunnel vision, Romi was impressed.

 

"Bam!" Hardy cheered, once the orderlies had finally been exhausted. "While you're turnin' tail, don't forget to set those two free and lead me to Aya too, while you're at it!"

Romi grew colder; Hardy had just given Meteor something huge, something they should never have. They gave him a small, but sharp, kick in the shin. He turned to them incredulously. "What the hell?"

"One battle does not a war win," Sirius said evenly.

"Allow me," offered John.

"No." Solaris said. "Stand down. I will face Romi alone."

Something clicked in Romi's mind.

"That should be agreeable, correct? After all, you are still far outnumbered. If that spirited child steps out, so too shall everyone else." He glanced at Hardy, who was looking from Romi to Solaris with something like surprise.

"Romi's always the superstar, huh? Aite, buddy, this one's all yours. Surprised you want to do this," he added, raising an eyebrow at Solaris. He stepped back and clapped Romi on the back; they flinched, but kept their gaze trained on Solaris.

"Our last battle was obfuscated by noise. But I have desired a proper match with you for some time," he explained. "You must understand this: as an individual, you have my utmost respect. You possess the God-given beacons of initiative and resolve, as well as the skill to enact them. A younger version of myself might have been envious of you."  
There was sincerity in his words, a frankness that Romi did not expect. They remembered. And their stomach turned as feelings fought inside them.

"These are skills which I have had a drought of years to develop. Nevertheless it is _my_ resolve, _my_ initiative, and _my_ skill that has brought Team Meteor together, and into the present. The world will resent our methods like the crying child resents his parents for their discipline. But sometimes ugliness is necessary, to protect beauty. I wish to protect this region. Show me how you protect what is dear to you." He pulled out a Pokeball and waited.

The chaos in Romi's stomach swelled, and there was no time left to still it. Resolved to turn their inner fighting outwards. They understood. Pulling out a Pokeball of their own, they gave Solaris a brief nod.

  
Roserade and Staraptor burst onto the field. Staraptor shot Betty a fierce glare and she quailed beneath it, releasing sickly purple spikes instead of attacking directly. They did not touch Staraptor, but scattered around the street closest to Solaris. Staraptor screeched and rose higher into the air.

"Brave Bird," Solaris commanded. Staraptor glowed with energy as she dove toward Betty, determination driving her forward. Betty ran in zigzags to avoid the hit, but Staraptor was larger and stronger, and she slammed into Betty. The little Roserade flew backwards, scattering a few more of the spikes she had been preparing in the impact. She managed to stand, but Romi could see: she was tired, and hurt badly from the attack. She looked questioningly at Romi.

They smiled at her, love and pride for their Pokemon unobscured even by their focus on this battle, and recalled her. Perhaps she could rest a bit, at least until Staraptor was defeated.  
Sent out, instead, the one best suited to stopping her.

Suzanne took in the scene for approximately one second before diving at Staraptor, her jagged wing striking feathers and causing Staraptor to shriek in anger and pain. Rather than taking off again, she lowered her head and ran toward Suzanne, who began running as well but not fast enough to evade Staraptor's attack. She slapped and kicked with wings and talons until she was exhausted and Suzanne had dents in some of her feathers. But her proximity meant it was easy for Suzanne to get in another slash with her wing, and after that attack Staraptor trilled and fell unconscious, retreating to her Pokeball.

With the toss of Solaris' next Pokeball came a thud, and sand swirled around the battlers as Tyranitar stepped forward. Wincing as the toxic spikes dug into his feet, he braced himself and approached Suzanne.

"Suzanne, come back." Romi recalled the Skarmory, who was looking surprised and excited at the sudden sandstorm. In her place they sent out Faith. The sand immediately got in her fur, and she shot an offended look at Tyranitar.

"Crunch." Tyranitar opened its jaws wide and lunged, Faith whistling in alarm. The sandstorm impeded her movement, however, and the attack connected with her tail. She threw her head back and sang a loud, warbling tune, both anger and pain, which gathered water from the air and splashed into Tyranitar. He staggered back, and Faith took the opportunity to get out of harm's way.

This did not impede Tyranitar.

He braced his feet against the ground and roared, and the ground began to shake and crack. The tremor was deeper than the one Gigalith had used to try and break the glass, strengthened by the sand swirling across the battlefield. Romi braced themself against it; Faith was hit by one of the cobblestones jutting up from the quake, but moved with it rather than against it. It clearly still hurt, judging by how she held her paw, but she avoided the harshest of the damage and landed gracefully next to her Trainer. The Moonblast was already forming, but the sandstorm made it harder to see from the opponent's side. By the time Solaris saw it rushing toward his partner, it was too late. The beam connected fully, and Tyranitar too retreated into his Pokeball.

Scizor came next, flying straight through the sand to land a flurry of silver punches. Faith was knocked back, crying out in pain. She sat up and began a new song, but Romi held up their hand. Faith retreated, allowing Romi to call her back and send Suzanne back into the fray.  
Elated by the still-blowing sandstorm, she ran forward, taking to the air. Romi grinned to see it, even as Scizor flew up to meet her.  
Suzanne blew gusts of air from her wings toward Scizor, which hurt but also made it a bit more difficult for Scizor to catch up. What the Pincer Pokemon lacked in speed, however, he made up in sheer power. After taking several blows Scizor at last reached Suzanne in the air, latching onto her leg with one powerful pincer. Not to attack, not yet, he used his perch to swing up onto Suzanne's back. There he attacked, viciously and intensely; with a screech Suzanne fell from the air, and Scizor, exhausted, could do nothing but hold on as she fell.  
She lost consciousness before hitting the ground. Romi was glad, almost; it meant they could call her back as defeated without having to allow her to crash into the street. Solaris too called Scizor back, the Pokemon not yet defeated but clearly very tired.

The sandstorm finally died down as each Trainer made their next choice: Gyarados for Solaris and Musharna for Romi. Neither moved to attack. Gyarados wound himself up in the air, doing an elaborate dance that seemed to energize him and fill him with confidence. Shimmer, meanwhile, rested serenely until he was done. The monent Gyarados' movements settled, at Romi's nod, Shimmer turned over in the air and hummed. A web of mental energy, briefly visible as pinkish rays, surrounded the battlers.  
The effect was immediate. The instant she had finished, she formed a beam of psychic power and launched it. Gyarados, disoriented by the Trick Room, could not move to dodge it in time, and took the full force of it right in the face. Furious, he launched himself at her, draconic light pooling around him as he rammed his head against the Drowsing Pokemon. She remained floating serenely, even launching off another bout of psychic power, and it was impossible to tell how much she had been hurt by Gyarados' attack. He launched another, more furious than the last; again, Shimmer floated peacefully, and fired off a third Psychic attack. Gyarados' rage was blinding. With a great roar he slammed against Shimmer's side, and with a sad hum she retreated to her Pokeball, unconscious.

Romi had battled that Gyarados before; they knew, now that he had defeated an opponent, he was significantly stronger. But he had also overexerted himself, become so angry he had gotten confused, and taken several hits from Shimmer's not insignificant power.  
They made their next choice.

In the twisted dimensions, Qito too found himself much faster. Solemnly he struck, flying at Gyarados before the Atrocious Pokemon even had time to react. One hit was all it took, Gyarados roaring once more before closing his eyes and being called back.

Solaris' hand shook as he sent out Excadrill and ordered him to attack. Qito reacted, raising his shield and glowing gold. The ground shook again, but this time the loose stones simply bounced away from the Aegislash.  
Romi called him back, and returned Faith to the battle. She still looked tired, but she whistled happily when she realized the sandstorm was gone, and seemed happier still to catch the last vestiges of Shimmer's speed-reversal. She sang so cheerfully that the sound rushed at Excadrill, all water and music, and sent him flying. He stood, shakily, and Romi could see the scarf wrapped around his tail fall to the ground.  
But in that moment the last of the Trick Room fell away, and Excadrill, despite his fatigue, found the pull on him gone. He shot toward Faith, sharp spike on his head aimed right for her, and this time she found she could not escape it. Romi called her back, defeated.

Qito returned, turning curiously to Romi before reassessing the situation. Yet again, the ground shook. This time, the debris did make contact, and the clang of earth against steel rang out. But Qito, still defensive, weathered it. Made one final slash, more of a poke than anything, and Excadrill fell.

And then Solaris sent out Garchomp.

The sickly spikes Betty had set out, scattered by the earthquakes, still dug into Garchomp's feet. But the great dragon gave no indication that he even felt them. He simply stood beside Solaris as the man, jaw clenched, touched his Key Stone.  
And through their bond, forged over the years, Garchomp transformed.  
Romi had never seen a Mega-Evolved Garchomp before. They noted he looked much more imposing, now, than he had been even on Mt. Pyrous. But they didn't feel afraid. Just trusted.  
Solaris gave a command, and Garchomp began swooping, an elegant dance wherein the blades on his arms swung and clanged threateningly. Qito followed the rhythm of the dance respectfully, even as he drifted forward and sliced. Then assumed a defensive stance, one more glowing gold.

And once more, the ground shook. It was the biggest earthquake yet, stones flying everywhere. One hit Romi in the leg, even as the rocks continued to avoid Qito. He dove forward, deftly slashing once more. Garchomp caught him, this time, slashing a claw across his blade and making him glow purple. And as Garchomp wound up, planting his feet into the ground, Qito raised his shield once more, bracing for the earthquake.

It never came. Romi realized their mistake too late, once Garchomp's dance had begun. It went much quicker this time.

"Now end this."  
Romi was expecting it, but the earthquake was still the strongest they had ever felt. Against Garchomp and his dances, Qito stood no chance, and the showers of loosened earth Garchomp threw with his earthquake battered against him until his shining body dulled, and Romi called him back.

They tossed out their last untouched Pokeball, a Timer Ball, and Nino sprang out. He took in the scene- cobblestones uprooted from all the earthquakes, sand everywhere from that and Tyranitar' sandstorm, Romi standing silently, a massive Mega Garchomp in front of Solaris- and dove into the ground. Romi tensed, waiting for Solaris' command; he gave it, but before Garchomp could fully brace himself again Nino burst out of the ground at his feet, tackling him. Then paused. Sniffed at his opponent curiously, looking over at Romi.  
Garchomp, too, seemed interested- nosed at the Gabite, before attempting once more to brace himself against the ground.  
  
But the poison in the spikes, though ignored, had slowly taken its toll. With a last roar, which sounded more lament than challenge, Garchomp toppled to the ground, and Solaris called him back.  
The final member of his team, Scizor harmed but still conscious, fell quickly. The earth had been much disturbed over the course of the battle, and Nino found no difficulty in diving through it- nearly as easy as the desert sand. Silently, Solaris recalled Scizor, and took a single step back. His eyes were trained on Nino as Romi recalled him, then rose to Romi's face.

"Children cry because they do not understand," he told them, face white, jaw clenched. "Adults cry because _they do_."

"You're losing your edge, commander," Sirius remarked. "Perhaps a soft bite runs in the family."

"What the hell?" Hardy stared at the demolished street, mouth hanging open. "My city!"

Romi made a note to apologize later, and to help clean up. Their anger, relaxed a little from the battle, prickled at Sirius' words.

"You would do well to mind your tongue," Solaris hissed, ignoring Hardy entirely.

"You might've... what is that?" Sirius trailed off. Something small streaked through the air, past Solaris and John, and dove for one of the other orderlies. Before anyone could react, the cloth binding Samson's wrists was torn, and by the time Samson had gotten the orderly in a headlock Ciel's bind was broken as well.

Hardy grinned, and Romi felt about a world lighter. They both knew that Pokemon.  
So, evidently, did Sirius. With a look of shock and rage he took off, chasing the little bird Pokemon as he wove and darted about.  
Solaris looked after them, then looked back to Romi. He met their eyes, and Romi felt the fury in his gaze as he spoke.

"We _will_ speak about this, and _soon_." His voice was even, measured. He held eye contact for a moment before turning and chasing after Sirius.

Hardy watched him run off with raised eyebrows. "Remind me to ask you later what that was about, Romi."

"Who cares? The guy's off his rocker." Samson shrugged. "I owe that Pokemon one."

"We all do," Ciel agreed. "For now, I believe we should teach these heathens a lesson in class. What do you say?" She pulled out a Pokeball.

"Sounds like a date," Samson grinned, doing the same.

"...On second thought, they can take you back," Ciel quipped.

"In the meantime, why don't you go after Lin?" Hardy suggested to Romi. "Now there's an opening."

"Right," Romi nodded. "...Sorry. I'll clean up later."

Hardy grinned. "Too right you will. Now go. She wwnt thattaway" He jerked his head toward the bridge across the street, which had somehow escaped the mess the battle had caused and beside which gleamed a golden shard.

Romi didn't wait to see the three battle the orderlies. They strode over, legs wobbling from the earthquakes, and gathered their Pokeballs from their belt. Pressing them against the Shard, Romi held their own hand to it as well to feel its warmth. It dissolved in a shower of golden sparks, and Romi could feel the renewed strength of their Pokemon from within their Pokeballs.

From there, they ran. They noticed another unconscious Meteor slumped against a stone wall as they rounded the corner, but hurried past them. Around the next corner, Romi could see a staircase. At the bottom... Titania battling cultists, a lady with a small child hiding next to the cliff, and another woman. Nobody resembling Lin.  
Romi stayed on guard, but as they stepped down the staircase nobody jumped out or made any move toward them.  
They could hear the woman reassuring her child, and gave Titania's battle a wide berth, instead slowly approaching the woman by the apartment building.

Before they could ask anything, the woman's eyes fell on Romi, and her face fell into relief.  
"Um... E-everything will be all right, won't it? I don't know what's going on, but I think I saw a woman with green hair just... outright walk into the water a minute ago. This isn't like some creepy zombie story, is it?"

Romi looked sharply in the direction the woman glanced. A straight stretch of river up to a waterfall, but no sign of anyone on or in it. They looked back to her.

"Thank you."

"For what? I- what are you doing? You're not- oh thank goodness you have a Pokemon," the woman babbled, breathing a sigh of relief when Romi sent out Faith into the river. "I d-don't think I could take another zombie."

They crouched beside the Primarina, scratching her head. "Up for a swim?" Faith chirruped happily and nosed Romi's cheek, making them grin. A quick double-check of their bag and Romi was off, holding onto Faith's back as she swam up the river.

The river was shallow here, and though Romi watched the bed as Faith swam along they could find no trace of Lin. When they reached the first waterfall, Faith looked back expectantly.

"Please," Romi nodded.

Faith whooped, and dove down before spiralling out of the water and launching them both at the waterfall. She was speedy; in less than a minute they were at the top, and Romi was patting her head in thanks. They made their way up a second waterfall, too, but further on were rapids, and they could go no further. Faith let Romi off, on the stony shore, and Romi gave her a berry before recalling her and continuing on foot.

Romi was drenched, it was freezing, and they had a perfect view of Agate City from how high up they were. But they noticed neither the view nor the cold, focused as they were on finding Lin, and steeling themself against their dread of doing just that.  
They had no particular fear of Team Meteor overall; from what they had seen, Florinia's schoolchildren were more effective than most of the grunts. But the leaders- Romi _was_ afraid. Sirius was unnerving. Solaris, formidable. Lin, terrifying. And of the three, given the choice, Romi would have chosen Lin _last_ to meet up with alone.

But she had hurt so many people who did not deserve to be hurt.

And even more than they were afraid, they were determined that she should be stopped. So they moved forward, even when it meant asking Faith for a lift down another pair of waterfalls, even when there was no other way to go but to dive down, through the strange and murky passageways beneath Agate City, enveloped in a bubble atop Faith's back.  
Even when they came to a cave, deep beneath the city, and Faith swam eagerly inside.

The cave was surprisingly well lit for its depth. It was wide, of gray-blue stone, and Romi could clearly see Lin there- standing, not swimming, with her back to them. There was some sort of symbol on the cave floor in front of her, and it looked familiar. Romi knew they'd seen it somewhere before. But there wasn't time to contemplate, as Lin spoke, her icy-smoke voice completely clear through the water and Romi's bubble.

"I see. So the gaggle above has already broken apart. And the power source we were seeking was never here to begin with. All this time, they were searching for something that could never have been found. And they destroyed themselves over it."  
Then she began to laugh. It was a horrible sound, high and girlish and as cold as Lin's voice ever was. Even Faith recoiled from it.  
But at that moment, Lin turned.  
"Hey. Don't you think it's funny?" She seemed completely unsurprised at finding Romi there; irritated, if anything, by their not laughing along. "Don't you think it's funny... how easily people break?"

They kept their face blank, even as their stomach turned. Lin went on.

"Everyone wears a stone face. Underneath, they swear they're solid gold. Hearts of crystal, souls of steel. But no matter what they show, everyone has nothing. You take something away- their home, their love, their breath, even just a single coloured pen- and they just fall to pieces."

Romi did not dare speak, and there was nothing they wanted to say to Lin anyway. Nothing she would listen to. And she did not seem to expect a reply. She went on.

"We are made of nothing," she declared. "And surely it would take an act of God to create something from nothing."

A flash ran through the cavern, and suddenly, behind Lin was a strange, misshapen pillar of stone.  
And with the flash came Romi's own- of understanding, of remembrance, of _panic_.

"Life is unfair like that," Lin said finally. Romi felt themself and Faith being pushed, by what felt like a strong water current, and they could do nothing but watch as Lin left, somehow trailing the impossibly heavy Relic Stone behind her.  
It gave them a moment to notice the trees in the cave. Tall, leafy trees of what looked like stone, stretching- Romi couldn't even tell how far. An entire forest, in this cave, and if they had noticed earlier-

Romi shook their head, and asked Faith to get them out of there.

When the two landed, once more at the shore, Romi could see Shelly a few feet away. They recalled Faith and stepped forward to stand with her, only to see Taka running up the street from behind Shelly, toward Ciel and Samson. Lin herself was at the top of the staircase, riding on Hydreigon, the Relic Stone floating behind her.

"Now, now! You can't possibly leave until the show is rightfully over!" Ciel sounded offended.

"While you're at it, how about you hand over whatever that big stone business is?" Samson suggested.

"Who makes demands with their cheek on the ground?" Lin asked. "I had been wondering when you would show yourself. You've made it an awfully long way, now, haven't you?" She stared at Taka, who to his credit was staring levelly back at her. Romi moved forward, so they were in front of Shelly and Taka. Lin arched a brow.

"Really? Every soul in this world insists on mercy. But there is none. A world like this cannot exist any other way." She slid from Hydreigon's back; instinctively Romi stepped backwards.  
And then the air was filled with sand.  
Romi reached for Nino's Pokeball; they felt him leave, but could not see where he had gone, as the sand was sticking to their wet skin and hair and making it hard to see. They heard Shelly yell and Samson and Taka exclaim, and they furiously tried to wipe the sand from their face.

Even through the chaos, Lin's raised voice was clear. "An entire desert of sand could not hide the truth from my eyes; this is nothing. Hydreigon."

"Nino!" Romi called. "Careful!" They stepped back, arms out, hoping to find either Nino, Shelly or Taka; they could still hear Samson swearing and Ciel complaining.  
They felt rush of wings pass their head, and shouted- but it was too late, Hydreigon had found its target. They heard it land and tackle, and then there was a terrible tearing sound.

Shelly began crying.

Hydreigon let out a roar, and something soft and light hit Romi's arm. They bit back the urge to scream, but it was replaced with the urge to throw up; this one was inevitable.  
However as they bent some of the sand fell from their eyes, and they saw what had hit them: a filthy, green plush head, disembodied but still instantly recognizable.

A Substitute.

Relief flooded them; they grabbed that feeling and filed it with everything else, out of the way. But they were running low on energy to deal with it all. By the time the sandstorm passed five minutes later, revealing Hydreigon attacking the other half of the substitute, Shelly sitting on the ground, Nino licking her face, and Samson and Ciel standing together, Romi was barely standing.

"I see. Still you insist on protecting that boy. Why, I wonder? Will your reasons come to light?" She looked into the distance as she spoke.

"I would think that would be obvious, for anyone with the slightest moral fiber," Ciel frowned.

"Morals are only lies we choose to believe in for our own comfort. Such fictions have no bearing on this world. All that matters is control. Who can make the other man bow? Who can make the other one kneel. Who can make them disappear. And who can bring them back."  
Lin stepped back, and before her appeared the slumped form of a very familiar Gardevoir.  
Romi fought to stay upright. Sensing his Trainer's horror, Nino scampered to their side, and their hand found his head, a grounding sensation if nothing else. Lin kept her eyes on Ciel.

"What is lost can yet be found. What is found can be extorted. What's extorted is forgotten. What's forgotten is your place."

To his credit, Samson realized before Romi did, despite not having seen Gardevoir before; at the first sign of darkness he lunged, and sent Ciel into a tumble; she instinctively rolled into it. But even Romi rushing forward could not stop the darkness that spun forward and caught Samson in its path.  
Romi fell to the ground.

"I- what... what happened?" Ciel asked, running to the stairs. "What did you do to Samson!?"

"Why should the sun care if the stars go out?" Lin asked. "It is still the center of its own world. Unable to see past its own sheen. Shield your eyes, or burn them out. It makes no difference." She turned away from the scene, Shelly and Romi on the sandy ground, Ciel frozen with shock, and walked up the street, Gardevoir, Hydreigon and the Relic Stone in tow.

"No," Romi said, pushing themself to their feet. "That Stone- we have to stop-"

"What? Again?" Shelly asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Of course I care. I always cared-"

"Another black hole? It was just like with Cain-"

"No..." Romi started running after Lin, but the icy cold water and the long few days had taken their toll. They couldn't run, not nearly fast enough to catch up to Lin. Nino stayed by their side, even as Ciel ran up the stairs past them. They finally gave up and turned back.

Shelly was watching them with tears in her eyes. "Romi..."

They made their way over and sat beside her on the ground.

"It was just like with Cain... I froze up. I saw Lin trying to leave and asked Samson and Ciel for help stopping her... should I have done it alone? Should I have just let her go?"

"No," Romi said dully.

"I don't-"

"No way." They looked up, and saw Hardy coming their way. "Then she'd just have gotten you instead. I'm not sayin' anyone's more valuable than anyone else, but at the very least, it'll do more harm than good if you don't let up on yourself. Ain't no one can blame you for takin' on something you can't handle. So chin up, Shell Bell. The best way to honor those that ain't with us is not to let that loss stop us from doin' what we gotta do."

 _Right_. Romi made to stand again, but Hardy shook his head and grabbed their shoulder. "No way. As Gym Leader of this city, I'm officially relieving you of your cleanup duty. You better get inside or you'll catch cold. Shelly, the others have rounded up a bunch of Meteor's goons and they're takin' em into the city to lock 'em down. I can't imagine they couldn't use another set of hands. Why don't you roll out with them?"

"O-okay," Shelly agreed.

Hardy watched her go. "That should help her out. My sis is with them, and they seemed to be hittin' it off earlier. But you, Romi, I mean it. I ain't gonna ask if you're okay, but you'd better take care of yourself. You've got a lot of people care about you, and would never forgive me if I left you here."

"Hardy, the Stone- she can use that, it's powerful. For the PULSE. I read about it."

"Then we'll get it away from her," Hardy nodded. "In the meantime, you're gonna come to the Gym and get dried off, aite? You, too," he waved at Nino.

"Taka went somewhere, that sand wasn't Nino's. I think Solaris-"

"Just come dry off," Hardy insisted.

"...okay."

 

Half an hour later, Romi was resting in a corner of Hardy's Gym, wearing about five layers of sweaters, eating hot soup, and surrounded by their Pokemon. Hardy kept bringing more sweaters in, from people who had seen the battle with Solaris and asked Hardy how the unfamiliar Trainer was doing. Betty had squirmed her way into one, and Shimmer was laying across another.  
Romi kept trying to get up, but they had a feeling Hardy had said something to their Pokemon while they were changing, because whenever Romi tried to stand up, they all endeavoured to suddenly be as cuddly as possible- even Qito, who had his tassel draped protectively on their wrist. And Romi would give in, and remember Hardy was out in Agate, searching for both Lin and Taka, and that he had threatened to tell Serra if they weren't resting.

After nearly an hour like this, the telecom at the front of the Gym began beeping. Moments later, Hardy himself bolted through the front door, and poked at it.

"Yeah? Oh, thank God. Romi!" He beckoned for them to come over, and that was when Romi _knew_ he'd conspired with their Pokemon: they all instantly moved to let Romi up.

"We've all been worried," Hardy explained, as Romi waddled over in all their sweaters. "...Why're you at Vanhanen Castle?"

"Uh. Closest place? I just wanted to get away until she left the city. She gone, now?" That voice-

"I'm still looking," Hardy replied. "...But probably, by now. Took some big stone with her, Romi says it's important."

Romi reached the screen, and for the third time that day felt a weight lift. Taka was waving at them through the display, and they were so relieved that they closed their eyes and took a deep breath to balance themself.  
Hardy laughed.

"Okay now you can both stop worrying, aite?"

"Worried? Who was worried?" Taka asked lightly. In response Romi opened their eyes and rolled them at the screen, grinning.

"Hardy, apparently."

He and Taka laughed. "Well, they're not totally wrong. But yeah, I think it's safe to say Team Meteor's flown the coop. What say you two to some pizza?" Hardy looked from the screen to Romi.

"Honestly? Hell yes," Taka laughed. "And you guys need to fill me in. All right, I'll head out. Glad it's a short walk, I'm exhausted."

"Just ride the Tauros by the Labyrinth," Romi suggested. Hardy and Taka looked at them.

"Tauros? The ones that are always fighting with the Bouffalant?" Hardy asked. Romi shook their head.

"No, there's one that hangs out by the entrance to Vanhanen Labyrinth. Runs around a lot, but he'll let you ride him, and he's fast."

"You don't- Romi, are you telling me you rode that crazy Pokemon going on a rampage on the cliff above Iolia?" Taka stared. "I _ran_ from that thing. "

"He's not bad!" Romi laughed. "You just need to steer him. You've ridden Tauros before, right?"

"No!" Taka sputtered. Hardy laughed again.

"I've ridden the normal ones, but something tells me that's a different kind of beast. You really surprised, mate? It's Romi."

"I shouldn't be." Taka grinned. "Okay, no way am I trying to ride that thing, but if you don't think he'll charge at me, the trip back to Agate shouldn't be as long."

Romi buried their face, laughing. "He won't!"

"'Kay then. Be there soon." The screen went dark.

Hardy stretched, and looked out the window on the door. "Aite, I better go tell my mates they don't have to keep watching for Taka anymore, and call for the pizza. I'll tell 'em you're here so they don't try and kick you out!"

Before Romi could ask for clarification, Hardy took off.

  
Ten minutes later, the door opened and the first of Hardy's friends arrived. "Romi, right? Name's Noivy. Be right back, just gonna drop off my guitar." He sprinted up the steps, and disappeared into the back room.

He hadn't returned by the time a second guitarist appeared, introducing himself as Alistair briefly before getting distracted.  
"Wicked! Your Roserade has a sweater!" He made a beeline for Betty, who was dozing in the sweater she'd claimed; she blinked up at him and held out a bouquet-hand through the sweater.  
Alistair tapped it gently with his own hand, and Betty trilled.

"Aw man, she's a little rockstar! Noiv, check out this wicked Roserade!" Noivy emerged and squatted down beside Betty too. She preened at the attention, and Romi chuckled quietly.

 

Betty was still entertaining the guitarists when the door opened a third time, and a familiar figure walked in, head wrapped in his scarf.

He grinned when Romi came over. "Hey, Ro. Made it past that old Tauros."

"Good to see you," Romi smiled. "Um-" they glanced at the scarf, and Taka shrugged.

"I just figured if someone was asking around and heard some guy came out of Vanhanen with something weird on his head, that wouldn't exactly sound out of place. Oh, hey," he added, as all of Romi's Pokemon except Betty made their way over to join the greeting.  
Betty herself looked from the scene to the guitarists, a conflicted expression on her face.

"Go ahead," Alistair grinned. "Even rockstars need to see their mates."  
With a chirp, Betty scrambled out of her sweater and hurried to join the others.

Romi laughed out loud at Taka's remark. "It's true." They had felt lighter before, when Taka had appeared on the telecom. But now the weight lifted even more, and they felt the happiness of simply being in the presence of the person who had become their closest friend. "How are you doing?"

"Tired," Taka answered honestly. "I want to rest for about a week after this. You?"

"Yeah," Romi agreed. "...Think the kids will let us?"

"Oh, no way. Anna said Alakazam would only give me a lift here if I told her and Nostra everything afterwards. And brought Noel ice cream. But honestly I'd just settle for no one trying to kill anyone, y'know?" Taka shrugged.

"Yeah. And she _would_ say that," Romi smiled faintly. "I can get the ice cream. I promised Suzanne treats." Suzanne gave a happy screech in agreement.

  
"Hey, the gang's all here!" The door opened again, and Hardy walked in, four boxes of pizza in his arms. Following him was yet another youth with a guitar. "Guys, Xavier. Xavier, Romi, Taka. Isaac's busy."

"Hey," Xavier waved. "And hey, nerds." Noivy clapped his hand to his chest in mock outrage, and Alistair laughed.

"Oh, come on, mate, they're not nerds. The lot of you are _geeks_ , remember?" Hardy grinned, taking the boxes over to the stairs where Noivy and Alistair were sitting.

"He's right," Alistair agreed. "We're not nerds; he is."

"Oi! Taka, Romi, come defend my honour!" Hardy wailed.

Taka watched the four and grinned ruefully at Romi. "Is this technically still dinner? Or do you maybe wanna take a raincheck on that? We should probably talk later anyway. I still want to hear what happened."

"Raincheck," Romi agreed. "Yeah."

"Sounds good."

Romi recalled their Pokemon, and the pair headed over toward where Hardy and his bandmates sat, grabbing slices of pizza.

"Okay, for starters," Taka said, "Hardy's _absolutely_ a nerd."

They all laughed at that, Hardy loudest of all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has been a Ride!
> 
> Firstly, I need to thank Ruby, who came up with the sandstorm idea that saved both Taka's and this fic's lives. Also need to thank Az, whose comments a while back inspired part of the battle. They are lovely people. Also Kaoupa, whose comments have made me feel so warm and fuzzy like "oh my gosh someone's actually reading this!" 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this, if you read it. I may take a break now for a bit, or I might not, but there're still a few things that need to be dealt with before I'm ready to shelf this fic until E19 (Romi and Hardy still need to have ther battle!), and I also want to go back and write a proper Chapter 1 now that this is an actual story and not just a hypothetical AU. But that stuff will come. Right now, I just want to let the dorks have their pizza in peace. ♡
> 
> (Almost all the dialogue in this chapter, except the bits at Hardy's Gym, are lifted wholesale or paraphrased from the game itself. All credit for that goes to Amethyst and the lovely Reborn team!)


	9. The Show Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After repeatedly dealing with Team Meteor, everyone's glad for the opportunity to just take a day and relax.  
> Of course, when you're Hardy and Romi, 'relaxation' doesn't rule out the possibility of a Gym Battle, but at least the stakes are lower than death this time.

Dinner that night was a boisterous affair. Hardy's bandmates talked about their days while they ate- it was jarring, to wake up and find that not only had months passed, but the entire city was under siege. They weren't harmed- evidently the waves Hypno projected induced more of a stasis than actual sleep- but Alistair swore he'd been hungry enough to eat four sandwiches right away when he woke up, and the rest of the boys expressed a similar feeling. The conversation shifted to Hardy's band, and the shows they'd missed; when he discovered neither Taka nor Romi had heard them play, Noivy was on the point of staging an impromptu concert right there. But Hardy wasn't hearing of it.

"No way. Romi's gotta hear our sound at the Gym Battle," he said, once everyone had finished eating. "Soon as they're rested up, eh, Romi?"

Romi grinned. "Tomorrow?"

Hardy pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! Aite guys, get some practice in tonight. Taka, you're watching, right? You've gotta hear our sound too."

"Do a concert up at Calcenon," Taka suggested, looking faintly amused. "But sure, I'll listen. "

"Calcenon? Why?" asked Xavier.

"Half the League's up there right now, mate," Hardy told him. "Tryin' to stop Team Meteor, and get through to Labradorra. Speakin' of, I called Charlotte this afternoon, to let everyone know we're alive."

"Good," Romi rubbed their face. "I forgot."

"Hey, if they're against Team Meteor they deserve a show," Alistair agreed. "That where you've been, Har?"

"For a little bit. All of us," he added. "These two went in to try and stop the PULSE that knocked the city out."

"You were there too," Romi said quietly.

"You guys _got_ to it," Hardy made a face. "More than I can say."

"That's because you slept through five Heal Bells," Romi said, a hint of a smile returning. Hardy's three bandmates laughed, and Hardy looked pained.

"That's it, I'm never gonna hear the end of it," he rubbed his face. "Romi, why did you have to go and tell them that?"

"Oh, please," Alistair said, through his laughter. "Last time a practice session went late, you slept through Xav's solo."

"I was right beside you, too," Xavier remembered, laughing all over again.

"Yeah, well, we _all_ need rest, if we're doing this battle tomorrow," Hardy laughed and turned to Taka and Romi. "I found you guys rooms you can stay in, by the way, I know this Gym isn't all warm like Charlotte's."

"Oh, you guys need a place to crash? I've got space," Noivy offered.

"Thanks," Taka said. "Yeah, it's been a long day."

"Thank you," Romi agreed. "Honestly, though, would you _mind_ if I stayed here?" They looked around.

"I mean, sure, but it's damp here," Hardy said.

"I'm still used to the desert," Romi admitted.

"Honestly? Yeah," Taka agreed. "One more campout for old time's sake? I think Exeggutor can even come out in here."

"Be my guest, but I'm getting sleeping bags, or else Romi's gonna catch a cold," Hardy shrugged, grinning. "Forgot about that. You really got used to that?"

"Thanks," Romi grinned at them both.

"Wait, what? Desert huh?" Xavier said. "Thought you guys were up in Calcenon."

"We were in Tourmaline Desert for a while," Romi explained. "Camping, basically."

"I was on the run, Romi was looking for a Gym Badge," Taka summarized.

"I'm telling you, this League is _bonkers_ ," Alistair shook his head. "That's awesome, though. Hey, guys, we should totally have a weekend out there!"

"Yeah!" Noivy agreed.

"In the meantime, though, I'm gonna get home. I can't believe I haven't played guitar in months. It feels like yesterday!" Xavier groaned.

"Oh, man, I hope we aren't out of practice." Alistair sounded panicked.

"Mates, I haven't practiced in ages either," Hardy lamented. "Hard to play when you're chasin' Meteors. I think we'll all be a little rusty tomorrow. We might _have_ to play in Calcenon, just so these guys can hear us at our best."

"For sure," Noivy agreed. "But yeah, I should make sure muscle memory hasn't gone off-kilter too."

"Aite," Hardy agreed. "If you're all headin' out, I'll go grab a couple sleeping bags."

"Sounds good. Hey, see you guys tomorrow!"

"Get ready to rock!"

"Nice meeting you!"

They exited in a big group, Xavier making a joke and the other three laughing as they went out the door. The two remaining were left to breathe in the sudden quiet.

"Okay, let's hope those guys never meet Terra," Taka said after a minute.

Romi laughed. "That would be some band."

"She sang sometimes, did you know? She wasn't actually bad, but..." He shuddered. "Loud. Loud as hell. Sirius took off every time."

Romi grinned. "Thanks. For the company."

"It's been a long day, y'know? It's kind of nice to do something that feels normal." Romi hummed in agreement. "And these guys could use a break."   
One by one, Taka clicked each of his Pokeballs, and Romi followed suit.

The reaction was instantaneous. The Pokemon, recognizing their friends, crowded together. Exeggutor leaned down to check on Nino, who chattered apologetically back to him. Komala crawled over to rub his head against Shimmer and Betty before retreating to his favourite place atop Exeggutor. Qito hovered toward Chatot, and the two seemed to be having a very serious conversation that was briefly joined by Klefki and Faith. Suzanne stood at the edge of the throng, making confused noises at Romi before Gliscor floated over and greeted her with a "Gli" and a pat on the head. Indignant, Suzanne squawked, which drew the other Pokemon's attention; Klefki jingled kindly and Minior's tips flashed a dizzying array of colours, while Shimmer drifted next to Suzanne and Faith trilled. Chatot gave a small chirp as well, and slowly Suzanne began chattering along with the others.   
Chatot hopped away, and looked up at Romi, studying them; their warm, happy expression watching the Pokemon play must have convinced him they were back to normal, because he hopped onto their foot and whistled happily. Romi grinned and patted his head.

When Hardy walked in five minutes later and saw the crowd of Pokemon, Nino cuddled up behind Taka's feet and Exeggutor bent down to coo at Romi, who sat with Suzanne on their lap, he couldn't help grinning.

"Okay, guys, your Pokemon can be as cute as they like, but no fair battling without me, aite?" He plopped the load he was carrying down. Immediately Klefki flew over and greeted him too, and Betty dove on the soft pile.

"Promise," Romi laughed as Exeggutor made faces. "Thank you, Hardy."

"Ay, it's nothing. I understand. It's been a long day. I'd almost want to stay myself, but I'm not used to sleepin' on the ground, and honestly, I'm exhausted."   
The other two agreed, and Suzanne honked piteously in agreement. Everyone laughed again.

"I'll get your treats tomorrow. Gotta go there anyway," Romi told her. Whereupon Suzanne became much more cheerful, and sat happily next to Hardy.

"Heh. Knows what she wants, that one. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, all of you. Sleep well!" Hardy patted Suzanne's head and ruffled Betty's petals as he headed out.

"Why are you guys such a handful?" Taka asked Chatot fondly, as they watched Gliscor swoop over to investigate the pile Betty was sitting on.

"Tot," Chatot squawked cheerfully, and divebombed the pile as well.

  
It took them the better part of half an hour to extricate the Pokemon from what, they discovered, were not only sleeping bags, but several blankets too, and about five pillows. They spread everything across the Gym's bottom floor near the climbing wall, blankets spread out so as many Pokemon as possible could sprawl out on them. Taka took his sleeping bag to the left side of the plateau by the climbing wall, set it down, and declared, "I call this side of the cave." Romi laughed and took the other side, with Faith curling up beside them and the rest of the Pokemon similarly looking for a cozy place as close to their Trainer as possible. In the end, just as in the desert, it bore only a slight resemblance to a proper campsite, looking far more like a sleepy pile of Pokemon with a Trainer bordering them on each side.   
The familiarity of the situation a comfort, to all of them.

"You okay?" Romi asked Taka eventually, once Shimmer had finally settled in beside their head.

"Yeah, it's not too bad here."

"I mean in general."

"Oh. I...guess? I'm still not sure what happened, but I got out at least. And... that sandstorm wasn't Nino, was it?" Taka asked, Nino looking up at the mention of his name.

"Mm-mm," Romi said. "He doesn't know Sandstorm."

"Didn't think so. So like..."

"Hopefully Lin thought it was him."

"I dunno," Taka shrugged. "But... thanks, for doing that. Are you okay? What happened after?"

"I'm. She sent Hydreigon. Over. And the sandstorm died, and... she got Gardevoir. And made a black hole. Samson's gone. And she left. I couldn't catch her."

Taka sat up, to Chatot's irritation. "A Gardevoir? That's new. And what did Hydreigon do?"

"No." Romi closed their eyes. "It wasn't- she knew. She had Gossip Gardevoir."

"...How d'you know?"

"She's not exactly hard to recognize," Romi said. "And before that, Lin said something... anyway, Hydreigon made short work of your Substitute. It was pretty bad."

"Glad it bought me a bit, anyway. Klefki's a good boy." Klefki jingled with pride. "...But what was it she said, Romi?"

"Don't remember."

"...Really? Nope, sorry, not buying it. Ro, you can tell me." He frowned.

"I know," Romi breathed. "It was just. One of her speeches. But I think... she knows more than me." They sat up, too.

"Look, I knew Lin for as long as she's been in Meteor, and I don't think _anybody_ knows what's up with her. Pretty sure my father doesn't. I didn't want to." Taka looked around the room. "...She's got to know what he did there, for me."

Romi stretched out their hand. It was difficult, because Faith, Gliscor and Minior were in the way; they patted the Pokemon as they reached. "I don't know. She seemed almost distracted. I've never heard her talk so much. Maybe she still thought I did it. And she can't really hate _me_ any more, so."

Taka reached too, and just managed to brush their fingertips with his. "Maybe. But he's strong anyway. I think- maybe he'll be okay."

"Gotten stronger," Romi agreed.

"I kind of wish I'd seen that, to be honest." Taka smiled.

"Maybe not," Romi made a face. "He recognized Nino and Qito. I think it made him mad."

Taka shrugged. "Probably more at me than you."

"Pretty sure it's me." Romi yawned. "But maybe he understood, when Chatot showed up. Good work, by the way. " They smiled at the little bird, and he fluttered over so they could pet him.

"Everyone did great," Taka agreed, and the yawn caught him, too. "Okay, we should sleep. Night, Ro." He lay back down, and Chatot hopped back over to curl up on his chest.

"Night," Romi echoed, laying down. "...Taka? I was mad, too."

"...I know," Taka closed his eyes. "So'm I."

"But he saved you, so... maybe you were right. Maybe he'll listen."

"I really hope so."

  
The next day, Taka and Romi went to Agate Circus immediately after breakfast. They almost managed to get there without Hardy seeing them leave; unfortunately, he spotted them heading through the gate, and ran to catch up. Romi's explanation- that Romi wanted to talk to Ciel before the battle and also they both owed Suzanne and Noel treats- relaxed Hardy, and he went back to the Gym to prepare for the battle.

Taka, having never spoken to Ciel and not at all sure how she would take his presence, headed off to collect snacks. Romi themself headed right for the main tent.

It was quieter than they remembered; only a few days ago, though it seemed like longer, the tent had been full of people crowding around to watch the Donphan, the clowns, and anyone who could get their hands on a Battle Pass. Now, though, the stands were only about a third as busy. Nobody even noticed as Romi made their way through to the backstage area.

It was empty.

They called, but nobody answered until a janitor poked his head in.

"Um, nobody's supposed to be back here," he explained. "Unless you have a Battle Pass, but I'm afraid the Triumvirate- er, Duo, now, but they're busy right now."

"I'm looking for Ciel," Romi told him. "Not to battle. Already did. She's a friend."

"Well, you'll need to leave here. The Ringmaster might be able to help you, she's out by the platform, but this area's restricted."

"Okay," they said, and left. Romi was fairly sure they were still allowed to be there, but there was no point if Ciel herself wasn't around. Worry prickled at the edges of their mind but they held it away, resolving at least to talk to the Ringmaster first.

They found her, as the man had said, by the platform, adjusting some Jigglypuff-shaped balloons that were tied to one of the booths and chatting with someone. Romi held back until they had finished, thinking about Ciel but also that the Ringmaster and Radomus should compare hats. That thought crossed their mind just as the Ringmaster looked over, and returned the resulting small grin with a wave.

"Hey, Romi. You've been here a lot. Getting bitten by the performance bug?" She teased. Romi shook their head.

"Not yet. I wanted to talk to Ciel. And you. About Agate City."

The Ringmaster's grin grew tired, and fell. "You heard about that?"

"Yeah," Romi said. "...I was there."

"Oh, God," she breathed. "Ciel didn't say much but it sounded like a nightmare. I can't believe, Samson..."

Romi patted her shoulder. "I know." They paused, then closed their eyes. "I'm worried. Have you seen Ciel?"

"She's around," the Ringmaster told them. "Not doing well, honestly. But I think she wanted space. I'm not sure where she went, I saw her last night."

"Thank you." Romi nodded. "I'm going back to Agate soon, but I think I should talk to her. Could you tell her I was here?"

"Absolutely," the Ringmaster agreed. "She might actually be backstage, if you wanted to look."

"I did," Romi smiled. "But thanks."

They bid her goodbye and found Taka, ten feet away, playing High Striker. He didn't notice them at first, managing to score a Nice hit on the machine and only noticing Romi when they clapped. Taka grinned awkwardly, and gestured to the wall of prizes.

"Thinking about Shelly, but so far, no luck. Worth a shot. Did you find Ciel?"

"She's around, they said, but no," Romi said, handing the operator some money. "I'll come back." They slammed the mallet down, but the ball only rose up to the 'ok' mark. They grinned anyway. "That was a sweet idea though. Did you find treats?"

"Yeah, a few," Taka looked ruefully at the plastic bag on the ground by the machine. "Think strawberry ice cream's okay?"

"Probably," Romi said. "I should get some too. I really do owe my team. 'Specially Madison, I don't think she'd fare well against Hardy. And I owe the kids too." They scanned the booths, and began walking.

"Romi, I was kidding about the 'few' thing. Seriously, take a look, it's insane."

Romi grinned. "Exeggutor'll be happy."

"Oh, yeah," Taka grinned. "Poor Eggs. I was thinking of taking him out to the desert for a few days, just to give him some room to stretch out. Poor guy."

"Why not go out to Apophyll?" Romi suggested, examining some Pop Rocks. "Victoria said it's quieter there now, lots of room. And probably cooler."

Taka thought about it. "Haven't been out that way since... well, everything's changed. Think Victoria'd let me crash there for a couple days? It would be good for him to get out and about a bit."

Romi paid for the candy, and grinned. "I'm sure."

"But that's later. If I don't show up to Hardy's with you he'll kill us, and I'm... honestly not sure Anna wouldn't kill over ice cream." Taka laughed. Romi chuckled, too.

"Yeah, he would. Okay, I'll just get a few more things..."

  
Half an hour later, loaded up with even more candy, Romi and Taka headed back through the gate to Agate City. They were still carrying their bags when they walked into Hardy's gym, and were immediately met with a chorus of greetings.

"Romi!"

"'Sup, dudes?"

"Hey, how's it goin'?"

They looked around the Gym. Four youths, Hardy's three friends from the night before and one neither of them recognized, stood at various points of the Gym, Hardy himself nowhere to be seen. They were all dressed alike, jeans and jackets with bright geometric logos, and each carried a guitar.

"Hey Taka!" Noivy called. "C'mon up here, you've got the best seat in the house!"

He shrugged, then looked at Romi. "Good luck! Not that you need it, but anyway."

"Thanks," Romi smiled, watching him hike up the stairs.   
Out of tradition, the first thing they did was activate the telecom. Adrienn's face flickered into view, and when xe saw Romi xyr face lit up.

"Romi! You finally made it up to Hardy's Gym, hm? Just what I'd expect from you. So, you looking for tips?"

"Please," Romi told xem, grinning too. "Good to see you."

"Aah, right. So Hardy fights in Doubles, and he favours an all-out offensive assault; you wouldn't expect it from a Rock Gym, but speed will be crucial here. If you don't move first you might not move at all, so keep that in mind. And his Pokemon can hide behind the rocks on the field from some attacks! Apart from that, though, the field doesn't really offer him much defense, so if you can meet his offense with your own, you should be golden. Shouldn't be a problem for you, eh, Champ?" Romi nodded in understanding.

"Oh, and Romi? After the battle, would you mind stopping by here? I just want to catch up."

"Okay," Romi nodded.

"Perfect! I'll be downstairs. They should let you in anyway, but if there's a problem, just ask for me and I'll come get you. Have fun with your battle, Champ!" Xe waved, and the screen darkened once more.

For the first time. Romi took in the Gym, not simply as a nice cavern, but as a Gym. The coloured blocks Noivy and Hardy had sat on while eating their pizza had been moved, and now sat on racks in a tidy line on plateaus going up the stairs. The three friends of Hardy's Romi recognized were also standing on the plateaus, in between the blocks; the fourth was lounging at the very top of the climbing wall.

Romi started up the stairs, unsurprised when Alistair challenged them as they passed. Sending out Betty, Romi smiled to see Betty's delight at seeing the person who had doted on her the day before. Alistair, too, seemed happy; as he commanded his Pokemon, he strummed at his guitar. Lunatone swayed to the simple melody, and Betty whistled- not in tune, but she was clearly enjoying herself, and so neither Trainer minded. In the end she was the victor, and gave a little curtsy as Romi returned her.

"Not a bad show, kiddo," Alistair grinned, letting Romi pass.

They made their way up the stairs, battling Xavier next, then Noivy at the top. Like Alistair, they played while they battled; Romi enjoyed the music, and how the players seemed to punctuate their battle moves with song. They enjoyed, too, seeing how the Pokemon all seemed to have fun.  
When they reached the doors at the top, however, they were locked.  
Romi glanced back, at the blocks along the path; they had to be used for something, but Romi had no idea what. They turned their attention instead to the stranger by the climbing wall, expecting another challenge, but instead receiving a wave.

"Sup!" the man greeted. "You must be Romi. Name's Isaac. I heard you got a sneak preview of this place yesterday! Well, let's hope you put it to good use. If you wanna fight our boy Hardy, first you gotta fight the chords!"

Romi looked back to the other guitarists, who were watching with interest. "Chords?"

"Aye, here." He motioned to the climbing wall; from this angle, Romi could see some strange wires affixed to the stones. "This wall's got strings goin' across that'll vibrae as you blow past 'em. Just make the music happen and you're in! Those tuners on the other side can control the notes you play; each of the notches there's a note. Match up the sounds, get 'em in line. As for the song you wanna play... it goes a little something like this." He held up the guitar and played a simple melody, tapping his feet in time. When he was finished, he shot Romi a smile. "You just let me know if you wanna hear it again, fam."

Aaah. "Thank you," Romi nodded. They tried to fix the melody in their mind; it sounded vaguely similar to the riff Xavier had played, during their battle. Deciding it best to start from the first note, they took off back down the stairs.   
Romi pushed at the first block, and it moved easily, playing a loud note as it did so. Oh. This wasn't too bad. They tried to line it up with the first note of the song, and then moved on to the other tuners.   
Then they headed down to the climbing wall.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Isaac called from the top, as Romi began climbing.

Romi stopped. "...Climbing?"

Isaac burst out laughing. "On your own? Mate, that's great, but no! You've gotta ride a Pokemon, otherwise you won't go near fast enough."

Romi climbed back to the ground, rather sheepishly, and considered their Pokemon.  
The only one on their team who was both large enough to carry them and had claws for climbing... Romi called Nino out.

"Bibite?" Nino looked around, confused. He skittered over to the wall, but did not find any blankets, so he looked up at Isaac. "Gab!"

Romi laughed softly, and scratched under his chin. "We cleaned up the pillows, we need to do a Gym battle now. Do you think you can climb these rocks? Really fast?"

"Mrrr!" Nino sniffed at the rocks, then turned and tilted his head at Romi. "Biiite!" Nino hopped. "Gabibi!" Making sure Romi was watching him, he launched himself at the wall, and _sailed_ upwards. As he climbed, the strings on the wall played. It sounded all right to Romi, but the doors failed to open, and Nino slid back down the wall to play the notes in reverse.  
When he reached the bottom, he stared up at the strings for a moment before scampering back to Romi. "Ga!"

"That was great," Romi smiled, patting his head. They took a few steps back, then called up. "Can I hear the song?"

"You got it!" Isaac called back, and the melody rang out again. Ah, _that_ was it- the second to last string was wrong. Romi turned and headed up the stairs, followed by Nino, who eagerly sniffed at the block as Romi slid it along the tuner.

When the pair reached the bottom of the wall again, Nino turned his back to Romi and looked back, tilting his head. They took hold of his shoulders, and Nino climbed once more. Romi felt the strings brush their hair as the pair ascended the wall, this time mimicking Isaac's melody perfectly.   
As Nino leapt the last few feet and landed with Romi on the platform, the door swung open, and the melody played once more- from inside.  
Nino crooned along with it.

Isaac laughed. "Good show. Hardy's calling you- go on!"

Romi nodded. Returning Nino, they headed through the door.   
Inside was a smaller cavern, with a central platform surrounded by a shallow round pit, and Hardy, guitar in hand, standing with Taka on the other side. They were both grinning; it was contagious, and Romi waved.

"What's up, mate?" Hardy asked. "You enjoying the show?"

"It's great," Romi grinned. "Betty and Nino liked it too." Taka laughed, and Hardy adjusted his grip on the guitar.

"Well, it's just gettin' started. I've been pumped for this for a while! You ready to roll?"

"Of course."

"Hell yeah!" Hardy pumped his fist in the air. "Don't you be thinkin' I'm some kinda pushover like my sister, aite? There's a reason I'm ranked higher than her. This is gonna rock!" He tossed two Pokeballs onto the central platform, and Romi did the same.   
Aerodactyl and Gigalith met Faith and Betty as Hardy began playing the guitar, a complex tune that his Pokemon found the rhythm of immediately even as sand kicked up. Aerodactyl transformed, growing spikier and larger; Betty launched a beam of green toward Gigalith, and brightened considerably. Aerodactyl arced through the air toward Faith, and struck her; she winced in pain and sang, a long high note that matched Hardy's song not at all. Water struck Aerodactyl's wing, sending her dropping to the platform, and jetted toward Gigalith, but Faith's aim was a bit wide and she instead soaked Betty full in the face. More annoyed than hurt, Betty gave Faith a glare.

"Oh, that's awful. This is a _rock_ show! Gigalith!" Hardy called, at the same time watching sympathetically as Aerodactyl retreated to her Pokeball.  
Gigalith was surprisingly agile for such a heavy Pokemon; ignoring Betty, he raised an arm and struck Faith in the throat.  
The attack clearly hurt- Gigalith was a strong Pokemon- but Faith seemed more offended than anything. She opened her mouth to sing a retort, and found she could not.   
Now she looked _furious_.   
"It'll wear off," Hardy said, both for Faith and Romi's benefit. "But you ain't even heard our song yet! Lycanroc!"   
Perfectly in time with the music, Lycanroc appeared, his soft brown coat nearly matching the sand that filled the arena. He called forth a rock slide like a drum beat, slamming against Faith and Betty.  
Betty sent another beam of green toward Gigalith, and the great stone Pokemon too retreated to his Pokeball. Faith, looking very sore, sent a pink beam toward Lycanroc. Softened by the sandstorm, Lycanroc's yelp nonetheless told them all that he had been hit.   
Rampardos appeared next, stomping his feet in time to Hardy's music. Another rock slide from Lycanroc, Faith barely evading it and Betty crying out even as she launched a beam of green light at Rampardos.  
Only to be caught in a counterattack.   
With one flaming punch it was over, Betty returning to her Pokeball and Rampardos spinning around to stomp as his teammate's Rock Slide made impact with the ground.   
And waited, bobbing their heads as Hardy played on.  
The entire battle seemed to be defined by Hardy's playing; his Pokemon understood their directions simply by the music, and the first thing he had done was render Faith unable to change the course of the song. Voiceless and no longer worried about hitting Betty, Faith instead unleashed a wave- but even as it rolled over Hardy's Pokemon, he used it, the rush of water rolling into a building crescendo of notes from the guitar.

Both Lycanroc and Rampardos keeled over, defeated, but Hardy looked ecstatic.

"All right, let's turn this around!" Hardy tossed his last two Pokeballs, and as he did so, the pitch of his song altered. Archeops and another Lycanroc, this time of the Dusk Forme appeared on the field. And Romi, tapping their foot, tossed their own Pokeball.

Nino sprang out, and raised his head in excitement at the sound. Archeops and Lycanroc called down waves of rock, two drum beats that struck Faith and Nino both. Faith cried out- then realized, even defeated, that her voice was back, and she whistled happily as she was called back to her Pokeball. Nino, however, shook his head. Created his own drumbeats, struck the stone beneath him and burrowed deep. Another beat and he launched out, striking Lycanroc. Romi quickly sent out Shimmer, and slowly she hummed a strange chant that harmonized with the melody. Lycanroc burst forward to strike her quickly, stony head knocking the Musharna backwards but not interrupting her chant. Archeops called down another shower of rocks- and what Nino did next, neither Romi nor Hardy expected. With a roar, he leapt up, and as the stones fell he ascended, climbing as fast as they could fall. And as Hardy strummed his loudest chord yet, Nino dove headfirst into Archeops, colliding in a bright flare of draconic energy.   
Even Lycanroc turned to look. Shimmer quietly finished her chanting, and two gentle pink barriers appeared around herself and Nino like shimmering bubbles.  
Gabite and Archeops both rose, Nino shaking his head from the impact and Archeops taking once more to the air, watching Nino with shock.

Two more Rock Slides came. Each struck fully, but they were somehow quieter, reflecting how Hardy's guitar had also somewhat hushed. Nino dug once more into the stone, and Shimmer aimed a pink ray of psychic energy at Archeops. The First Bird Pokemon fell, warbling a long call that harmonized to the slowing notes. And though Lycanroc kept focused on the ground, he heard Nino too late, and the tackle came from beneath his feet. As Lycanroc returned to his Pokeball, Hardy played the last quiet notes of his song- and then punctuated it with one final strum.

Taka clapped.

"That. Was. _Awesome_!" Hardy crowed. "Looks like I still got a ways to go, but- ah!" All three of them watched, as Nino began to glow- and change. Shinmer floated peacefully backwards to give her teammate space, as he glowed and stretched and grew.

"Is he really _now_ -" Taka began, but the sentence was cut off by Shimmer's whistle. A second later, a great roar filled the cavern, and Nino stood, taller than any of them.  
A Garchomp.  
"Gaaar!" Nino looked around before bounding across the gap to where Romi stood, the brightest smile on their face, and cuddled his head against their face. His Trainer hugged him, and across the room it was Hardy's turn to cheer. Taka clapped again, unable to keep from smiling as he saw Nino- now so resembling his father's Pokemon, but as unlike in attitude as Solaris from Taka himself- so excited. Shimmer floated over to where Taka and Hardy stood, and even she seemed happy- though Taka always found it hard to tell, with how placid she usually was.

"Best show ever!" Hardy declared. "Aite, let's get over there and join them. Gotta give Romi their Badge." He held the Geode Badge up to the light, only to find it lifted from his hand by a pink beam of light.   
"Oi!" he protested. Shimmer trilled and returned it, with a sound that very much resembled giggling.   
She floated over to join her Trainer, and they waited until Hardy and Taka had made their way over.

"Aite. Here's the Geode Badge," Hardy grinned, handing it to Romi with a disc. "And peep this TM. Best slide in the world that ain't on a guitar, y'know?"

"That was great," Romi told him. "All of it. And you all did great," they added, to both Shimmer and Nino as well as their dormant Pokeballs.

"Right?" Hardy agreed. "I choked a bit there, but man, what a jam! I hope the boys heard all that! What'd you think, mate?" He turned to Taka.

"It was great," he said appreciatively. "Never seen anyone use moves like that."

"Chomp!" Nino scampered toward Taka; Taka tensed, and Nino stopped, looking confused.

"I'm sorry! Nino-" Romi began.

"Nah." Taka shook his head. "Just habit. Hey, buddy. Nice job." Nino hopped happily, and cuddled his head up to Taka, too. Taka laughed, and patted his head. "Okay, he hasn't changed a bit."

  
Five minutes later, Shimmer and Nino had returned to their Pokeballs, and the trio of Trainers had gathered around Hardy's telecom. It was a bit cramped- but it was nothing compared to the scene they saw when the call went through, and Charlotte answered.  
Charlotte's rather unimpressed face was smushed between the twins', Anna holding Nostra up and Noel looking somewhat sheepish as, on his other side, Lumi crouched down, Glaceon nestled in her arms. Above Charlotte's head, Eve and Serra edged their way into the screen, followed shortly by Radomus, wearing his most famous top hat.  
Romi was the first to laugh, but the others weren't far behind.

"It's easier than having to repeat everything," Charlotte scowled, but the effect was somewhat ruined when Anna poked her, and she bit back a laugh.

"It's good to see you all safe," Radomus said.

"You guys okay? Are the others with you?" Noel asked.

"Rini, Shelly and my sister went back to Reborn City. They arrested a bunch of Meteor's goons, and they're takin' em in for questioning." Hardy assured Noel. "They're all fine, a bit shaken up, but who ain't these days?"

"So was that it?" Charlotte asked. "Bunch of Meteors showed up and got arrested? That's boring!"

"I wish," Taka muttered. "Nah, the whole gang was here. Lin, Sirius... and my father."

"You okay?" Eve asked.

"Mostly..." Taka told her. "I think so, yeah."

"I'll tell you who _won't_ be, when I get through with 'em," Hardy grumbled. "Earthquakes galore, it was a mess."

"What exactly happened?" Serra asked.

"Samson... he got taken," Romi said carefully. "And Lin took the Relic Stone that was buried here."

"Wait, what?" Noel asked. "The purification stone?"

"The what?" Hardy asked. "What is this thing?"

"There was a book about it," Romi told him. "In the school in Calcenon."

"It's a shrine," Noel explained. "It's supposed to be able to purify Shadow Pokemon, but there aren't any in Reborn, are there?"

"It's powerful," Romi added.

"And something that powerful... may have been just what Team Meteor was looking for," Radomus finished.

"Well _that's_ just great," Serra said.

There was a quiet moment, as everyone processed the information. "Um. What did you say happened to Samson?" Anna asked, looking worried.

"He was taken," Romi answered quickly. "By Lin. I don't- I think he's alive." Taka and Hardy looked at them curiously, but said nothing.

"Well, at least _that_ we can do something about," Eve said. "I'm still working on a way to get through the PULSE barrier over Labradorra, but it's possible we won't need to worry about the Relic Stone after all, if I'm successful."

"Right!" Anna brightened. "We'll get him back, and all the others!"

"Well, if anyone can get through there, it's you," Taka smiled.

"Then we shall continue to have faith," Radomus nodded.

"Oh, uh. I kind of ended up hiding at your Gym for a couple hours, Radomus," Taka remembered. "I didn't touch anything except the telecom, though, I was just. Lin sort of came after me and I took off." Romi took his hand, and he smiled faintly.

"Good thinking!" Anna squealed.

"Well, whatever you did in there can't be as bad as what Romi there did to my Gym," Serra snarked. Romi rubbed their face with their other hand.

"I'm sorry!"

"What happened?" Noel asked.

"Smashed all the ice mirrors," Serra told him, smirking. "Fine battle, but that cleanup took forever."

"Come to think of it, they steamed my Gym up good," Charlotte grinned.

"Wow," Noel grinned. "I'm kinda glad I fought them outside."

"Okay, okay, leave 'em alone, they just got done _winning my badge_ ," Hardy said. "And that ain't easy!"

General sounds of congratulation came from the other end, even Charlotte looking pleased.   
"How was the battle?" Anna asked.

Romi smiled. "It was-"

"It was rockin'," Hardy wagged his finger. "but Romi ain't givin' away our secrets now. My mates an' I are planning a trip up to show you all how we rock, and I ain't lettin' Romi give anything away."

"A concert? Yay!" Lumi's eyes were bright, and Eve grinned.

"I was only going to say it was fun," Romi laughed.

"A bit of music would surely liven things up here," Radomus said. "I think it's a great idea."

"Aite, well, I'll talk to the boys," Hardy nodded. "It'll be a couple days, gotta get things settled here, but after that..." He jerked his head toward Taka and Romi. "What are you two gonna do?"

"Adrienn asked me to stop by after the battle," Romi said. "I think xe just wants an update."

"And Taka has to come here," Anna told Hardy. "He owes Noel an ice cream."

Noel looked confused. "Wha?"

"Already got it," Taka nodded seriously. "Ro, you all right if I take it over?"

Romi grinned. "I'm fine. But you'll have to take them the candy _I_ got, too."

"You got us candy? Why?" Noel asked, excitement creeping into his voice despite his best attempt to hide it.

"Because the circus is right there, and your sister blackmailed me."

"Anna? What did you-" Noel began.

"Okay see you soon bye!" Anna reached forward, touched something on the telecom, and the screen went dark.

 

Hardy laughed. "Think she's in for it? I'm gonna go clean up the arena, mates, I'll be back."

"Nah," Romi smiled. "They're all happy." They stretched their legs and checked their bag, taking out a small plastic bag. " Can you give these ones to Eve and Lumi?"

"Sure thing," Taka assured them. "See you up there after, then?"

"Yeah." Romi paused. "What should I tell Adrienn, about you and the girls?"

"Xe sounds okay," Taka shrugged. "Maybe don't bring up Eve and Lumi unless xe asks, but Team Meteor already knows I'm alive, so whatever."

"Okay," Romi agreed.

"And, here." Taka reached into his own bag and brought out a Poke Doll. "I lied earlier. This is for you." He held it out and looked away. "You did great out there."

Romi took it, staring into its face for a moment. Then they held it to their chest with one arm, and touched Taka's arm with their other hand.   
"So did you."

"I didn't battle Hardy."

"That's not what I meant."

"...Yeah. Me either." Taka looked back, face a bit pink. "So uh... How many Gyms _have_ you wrecked, anyway? I thought you saved that for Meteor bases."

"It was an accident, at Serra's," Romi laughed, their face even redder.

"Are you sure you don't just like punching things? I won't judge."

"No!"

 

Romi left for Reborn City shortly after, planning to stop at the Pokemon Centre and heal their team before they left town. They promised to stop back in at Agate after they met with Adrienn, on their way back to Calcenon, and headed off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't actually end up taking a break. This chapter is just big. XD 
> 
> I very much need to credit Taurus Versant here; the idea of Hardy's battling style was partially inspired by her Song of Alola in Eldritch. Which you should all go read, because it recently finished up and it's amazing. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There's one more, I believe, before episode 19 comes out, and I'm looking forward to getting it out there! But I've had a lot of fun with this one, too, and I hope you guys enjoy. ♡


	10. Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Romi goes to fill Adrienn in on the events of the last few days, and gets some advice from a dear friend.

Route 1, between Agate and Reborn Cities, was almost a jungle. The grass was taller than most humans, the area was filled with bickering Tauros and Bouffalant, and if you ventured into the forest that lined the route you risked running afoul of the local Pinsir, Heracross and Araquanid. The first time Romi had made the trip, it had taken nearly twelve hours to make it through from one end to the other.

Now, however, they could make it in less than two.

The overactive Tauros was running circles near the cliff over Iolia Valley. He didn't notice Romi until they approached, unhesitating, and even then he barely reacted. Running was far more important. But as Romi sprinted to catch up, and hopped on his back, the Tauros made no move to stop or evade them. Simply allowed this strange Trainer to ride as he ran- and when they aimed his horns toward the rest of Route 1, continued in that direction.  
He didn't particularly care where he ran, after all, as long as he was _running_.  
When they caught sight of the Grand Gate, the Tauros felt Romi shift- as usual, preparing to slide off his back. And so, again as usual, he gave an impish buck at the last moment and sent Romi flying into the tall grass, and carried on running.

 _Oh, right_ , Romi thought as they picked themself off the ground, _I better warn the guys about that landing_.

They made their way to Opal Ward and the Grand Hall without issue, although they walked slowly; it was only their second visit to Reborn City since its miraculous transformation, and the sheer beauty of it washed over Romi all over again. It even smelled better.  
The Grand Hall was growing busier, as the afternoon faded into evening, and Romi had to edge their way through to the desk at the back.

Before they even reached the desk, a woman who looked to be in her forties caught their eye and smiled brightly. "Welcome! We're currently taking donations for various restoration projects around the city. Please feel free to ask about any of them."

"Sorry," Romi shook their head slightly. "Supposed to meet Adrienn."

"Oh, sorry," the woman laughed, not noticing the sympatheric look her coworker shot her from the other end of the desk. "Only my second day working here. Okay, can I get your name?"

Romi, who did notice, smiled faintly, hoping to put her at ease. "Romiren Case. Romi."

The woman nodded. "Adrienn said you'd be here. Xe's just downstairs. Right through here!" She walked quickly over to a counter-gate and lifted it, letting Romi through.

"Thank you," they told her.

The basement of the Grand Hall was both busier than upstairs and significantly louder, and Romi quickly found themself overwhelmed. Fortunately they quickly caught sight of Adrienn, and made a beeline for where xe sat, poring over some papers.

"Hey," they greeted quietly.

Adrienn looked up. "Romi! This is great. Just give me a moment and we can go chat. Did you see Victoria yet?"

"No, is she here?"

"She might've gone out for coffee. That's okay, I'll leave her a note." Xe scribbled something on a yellow sticky note and patted it onto xyr desk, then led Romi down a corridor and into a small office.

"So!" Adrienn said, once they had both sat down. "Congratulations on defeating Hardy! I got the update to your Trainer Card a couple hours ago."

Romi grinned. "Thanks. It was a fun battle. Have you heard his band?"

"No, no, but I'd like to! Sometime. This administration work has me swamped, I don't know how..." Xe trailed off. "But anyway, Romi, the reason I wanted you to come here was because I hoped you could fill me in. Florinia stopped by the other day to give me brief rundown, and Titania was in yesterday to explain about Team Meteor in Agate City, but honestly I was hoping you could explain better. Besides, we haven't spoken face to face since our battle, and I've heard a few things. I was worried."

"Um. Where should I start?" Romi asked. "It's been. Interesting."

"How about the beginning?" Adrienn suggested.

Romi shrugged. "I got through Tourmaline okay. You know Taka?"

"Of Team Meteor? We haven't met, but I've heard of him."

"Formerly. He was there. Trying to find a place to hide, get off Team Meteor's radar. And I was on my way to Titania's. So we travelled together. Took a while, but Tourmaline's massive. It was fun, actually." Romi smiled. "Found the scrapyard town out there, and Titania's place is right nearby."

Adrienn's eyes lit up with concern, but xe only nodded.

"Then I went to take on the Gym, and Lin showed up. She had Taka trapped in one of Titania's towers. So. I told Madison to get him somewhere safe. Lin was hiding and tried to go after them but Titania stopped her. Lin... she was killed. But by the time we had had our Gym Battle she reappeared like nothing had happened. Taunted us about it."

"What in the..." Adrienn trailed off. "Are you all right?"

Romi gave a small shrug. "I was okay."

"Still... you're _positive_ she died?"

"Titania's Aegislash got her," Romi told xem. "She... was gone."

Adrienn shook xyr head. "That's... horrific. But I still refuse to believe she can't be stopped. We'll find a way, yet."

Romi continued. "Lin threatened Amaria before leaving, so Titania and I went to her place. While I was in the area, we had our Gym Battle too. Visited the circus, got a message from Florinia and went to Calcenon. Finally saw Taka and Madison again. It was. A _big_ relief."

"Right," Adrienn nodded. "So that's why Charlotte sounded so upset when she asked if I'd spoken to you. Thank goodness it worked out!"

Again, Romi smiled. "I didn't think they would end up there. But by the time I got to the city, people were missing. And Rini had traced the signal over Agate City to Route 4. So Hardy took off and I went with him. To try and save everybody."

Adrienn noticed Romi's closed eyes, and spoke gently. "What happened there, Romi?"

They took a deep breath. "...It was a trap. We were put to sleep, and I only woke up because- of some Pokemon. When I got through, they were all there. Everyone who was missing. They had Cain and Shelly controlled by the PULSE. They battled me. And then... let Shelly go and put me under."

"Romi, that's... PULSE? Florinia mentioned a Hypno, was that it?"

"Yes." They sighed. "Don't remember much after. Taka, Luna, Serra and Radomus came. Battled them. Radomus' Gardevoir destroyed the PULSE. And." Romi shook their head. "Opened a black hole." They stopped. Adrienn made no move to speak, however, waiting patiently. So eventually Romi spoke again.  
"I only got out because of Luna. And Shade. They led me out. Taka and Radomus and Serra and Shelly and the twins were there. We got Hardy and went back to Calcenon City. And I slept."

"I imagine you all did," Adrienn said quietly. "Romi, you poor-"

"No," Romi shook their head. "I. Got out. And then yesterday Team Meteor attacked Agate City, and Lin. Found a power source for her PULSEs. But she might not have the resources to use it. So there's that."

Adrienn stood, and held out xyr arms. "Romi, darling, I'm _sorry_. I honestly can't imagine what all of that felt like."

Romi took a deep breath, and hugged their friend. "Thank you."

"I'm so glad you made it through," xe told them, warmth in xyr voice.

"I did. I may've- I did."

"May have?" Adrienn frowned. "May have what, dear?"

Romi smiled. "Nothing. Thank you. How have you been?"

Adrienn gave them a Look. "I can't complain, it's been truly wonderful seeing this city flourish. _And you are evading the question."_

"I'm not," Romi protested. But there was a tightness in their voice, and when Adrienn's eyes widened with concern, Romi closed their own. "I'm fine."

"You're incredibly strong, Romi. And you still don't have to hold everything in." Xe put a hand on Romi's shoulder. "Do you know that once I got back to Reborn City I was terrified?"

"No doubt," Romi said, sympathy colouring their voice.

"I felt like the entire world had changed in practically an instant. Ten years is a long time, even if it felt like nothing. I don't know what I would've done if Ame hadn't been such a great friend." Xe looked up. "She would stop by, check in on me. Let me talk. It helped me process things. And it cleared my thoughts enough to realize that there was still something I could do."

"I'm so sorry," Romi said. "About her."

"So am I. But the good she did shines through every stone of this beautiful city, and the kindness she showed gives me strength." Xe gave Romi another quick hug. "What I'm trying to say is that nobody needs to face everything on their own. Your friends love you. They want to know if you're struggling, so they can help you up. Or at least be by your side!"

"I'm not _struggling_ ," Romi said quietly. "It's more that. I was supposed to do something, and I failed." They twitched, and looked up at Adrienn. "What do you know about Shade?"

"Shade the Leader? We haven't spoken very much, and I'll admit he's a little... eerie, but Ame always seemed to value his opinion. Is this something to do with what happened, at the old factory?"

Romi took a deep breath. "When I went to the Power Plant, and Shade was there, I recognized him. The day I arrived here, on the train, I saw a weird reflection in my window. By the time I turned to look he was gone, but Ame saw him behind me. It startled her enough that she realized the train was speeding up, and got us out. We wouldn't have made it otherwise. But I thought I imagined it until the Gym."

"Thank goodness he was there," Adrienn said softly.

"To get to his room in the Gym, I had to activate these computer screens. They showed videos of horrifying things. One of them was real." They looked down. "Corey. One of the screens was Corey's death. When I got to Shade's room, to battle, I realized where I'd seen him before. And then he told me something. I couldn't forget it. 'Four screens foretold four souls' fortunes forsaken. For forsooth, from foreshadowed, only two will be taken.'"

Adrienn gave a wry sort of grin. "That sounds like Shade, all right. Do you know what he meant?"

"I don't know. Didn't. He gave no explanation. He just turned on the Railnet after I beat him. But then things started... happening. You've heard what happened on Pyrous Mountain, with Kiki? That was one of the screens. I recognized it after."

"Was that before you met Shade?" xe asked.

"After. And then. Up in Carnelian. I recognized that beforehand. But. I couldn't stop her, I tried, I couldn't catch up with her. And then. She jumped." Their face looked downright pained now. "And then Titania did too. And it was so long before I could go after them."

"Who? Amaria?" Xyr voice was gentle, and Romi nodded silently. "But Romi, she and Titania were both all right."

"But Shade was _there_ again," Romi told xem. "Reminding me. 'Remember, four screens foretold four souls' fortunes forsaken. For forsooth, from foreshadowed, only two will be taken'. But three of them had happened. And I hadn't stopped them. Why else would he be there?"

Adrienn looked shocked. "Romi, you don't think Shade was expecting you to _prevent_ those things, do you? You hadn't even seen them when the first happened."

"But I was _there_ when it happened. If I had've known, I could've- but I didn't even think. He tried to _poison_ me, I wasn't thinking-" a tear fell, and then another. "And then. The Factory. I was gone, Adrienn, I was wandering around in this starry place. I saw so many people there. Cain. Gardevoir. Practically everyone I've met since I came here. I saw so many confusing things. But Cain was real- and he's still there. And Luna went in and found me, and Shade brought me out. Radomus even said it. 'It looks like you have business you are _not permitted to quit_ '"

"Romi." Adrienn caught their eye. "Listen to me. You have done so much good since you arrived here. I don't believe for one minute that Shade, or anyone else for that matter, holds any of those things against you, all right? Goodness, I found his speeches annoying before, but why can't the man speak frankly? From what I heard it sounded more like a warning, but it's so cryptic."

"Maybe," Romi allowed. "But. Why warn me? Why save _me_? I don't understand, if he doesn't want me to stop it. And I failed again yesterday. Lin. She took control of Radomus' Gardevoir somehow, and used her to attack. Samson. I couldn't stop that either."

Adrienn shook xyr head. "You followed the woman all around the city, from what Hardy told me. I don't know why these things have been happening, but what I do know is this. You are not at fault." Xe hugged Romi again. "And what's more, you've been carrying this alone, haven't you?"

"I. Some." They sighed. "Everyone is struggling. I don't need to worry anyone else."

"Romi." Adrienn looked reproachful. "Anyone who cares about you will be _more_ worried if you keep your fears locked inside. I said that already. Don't you want your friends to be honest with you?"

"It's. If I'm supposed to stop these things-"

"Then let the ones you love help." Xe patted their arm. "Not one brick of this city was rebuilt without people working together. And maybe they needed someone to start the ball rolling, to remind them it was possible. But I didn't do _anything_ on my own. And you don't need to either. Nobody does. All we need is the resolve to do what's right, and the faith that we aren't alone."

Romi took a deep breath. "No. I'm not." There were still tears in their eyes, but they smiled shakily. "Thank you."

"Thank you for telling me," Adrienn said. "And if it's all right with you, if I do manage to get in contact with him, I'd like to ask him to clarify what he said to you."

"...Please," Romi nodded.

"It's not a problem. We've been trying to contact him anyway; apparently the Power Plant has been completely abandoned, but one room remains locked. No one can find the key. The city's electricians are not happy." Adrienn grinned, and even Romi smiled. "Not the _only_ lost key that's been reported, but possibly the hardest to replace."

"If I see him again, I'll ask," Romi promised. "After. The rest."

Adrienn patted their arm again. "Thank you."

"I should go, though," Romi said. "Got a few things I should do."

"And I shoooould get back to answering letters. But Romi, darling, you're always welcome here. Victoria will be sorry she missed you." Xe stood up. "We'll have to have a rematch one of these days, too."

Romi smiled. "That would be fun."

They gave their friend a final hug, and carefully made their way back upstairs. Letting Madison out in front of the Grand Hall, they set course for Agate into the gathering dusk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, Chapter 10! 
> 
> There's a lot that's gone into the process of writing this. It's been written and rewritten, and gone through about three outlines. But it's finally here, and with it, the final (planned) chapter until Episode 19 of Reborn drops!
> 
> I hope you guys have enjoyed so far, and I hope you enjoy the sidestories that I will inevitably post. Every single person who reads this AU means so very much to me. ♡


End file.
